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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23467807">The Sun and his Stars</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TibbsSlash/pseuds/TibbsSlash'>TibbsSlash</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>One Piece</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU, Alcoholism, Badass Monkey D. Luffy, Fix-It, Gen, Graphic Violence, Grieving, It’s mostly Luffy's fault, I’ve fallen down a one piece hole, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Probably ooc, Protective Monkey D. Luffy, Smart Monkey D. Luffy, Swearing, Temporary Character Death, The strawhats defy the laws of the universe, Time Travel, Underage Drinking, but like ten years have passed since the current storyline, more tags to be added later, over protective characters, so eh, technically though they’re both mentally older but eh, this is how I choose to cope</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 06:07:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>43,756</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23467807</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TibbsSlash/pseuds/TibbsSlash</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Suns are stars around which planets orbit. Somewhere in the universe however, there exists a sun which defies this rule. Monkey D. Luffy is an unparalleled force that attracts lonely stars and traps them in his orbit, giving them a warm home. </p><p>What happens when Luffy disappears from their sight? </p><p>Simple. The universe itself scrambles to make up for its mistakes. </p><p>(AKA. That time travel AU no one asked for but I’m writing it anyway.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Monkey D. Luffy &amp; Mugiwara Kaizoku | Strawhat Pirates, Monkey D. Luffy &amp; Roronoa Zoro</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>247</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>885</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>The first few chapters will be quite short but I’ll try to increase the length as the story goes on.</p>
    </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Edit: Me and mine by the brothers bright.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Luffy surveyed the scene before him. He had just defeated Im and he lightly smiled at the victory even as he pressed his right hand into the stump that was now his left arm. He fell to his knees, the wound at his gut contributing to the pool of blood created by his missing arm. He used the last wisps of his strength to use observation haki and check his nakama. <em> They’ll make it. </em> He assessed with relief. <em> His attempts to shield them had paid off. </em>He stretched out his remaining arm and picked up his fallen comrades who were scattered among the battle field and gently placed their unconscious bodies behind him. The bursts of conqueror’s haki pulsing from his previous fight had knocked out all life in the city save for Zoro and two of the Gorosei and all three had been struggling to stay upright as they battled it out during his own fight. </p><p> </p><p>Zoro was being worn down slowly, his strength and skill may have been superior, but not by much, and he was losing out against the multiple opponents, freshly enraged at the death of their leader. Luffy watched as Zoro defended against barrages of attacks from his opponents, but he had no opportunity to retaliate without leaving himself open to the lethal blows he was barely managing to block with one of his swords, now broken. </p><p> </p><p>Luffy stumbled to his feet ignoring the blistering pain and how his vision was going dark at the edges. He glared at the blondie, concentrating the full force of his haki on one target, he wasn't able to hold it for more than a few seconds in his current, withered state but it ought to be enough. Thankfully, the man fell on all fours, struggling to remain conscious and Zoro seized the opportunity to cut him down. Beardy also took advantage of the situation and as Zoro cut down his comrade he vanished and reappeared behind Zoro, his broadsword raised for the finishing blow. Luffy didn’t know how he could still move but somehow he managed to place himself in between the deadly slash and his first mate. The blow slashed his chest, adding another severe injury to his already battered body. He wasn’t going to make it out of this one alive but as he fell to his knees, the Pirate King was smiling. He had succeeded in protecting his nakama and their dreams. </p><p> </p><p>“LUFFY!” He heard Zoro howl out and felt a horrible energy pass through him. Shit. Zoro had opened his eye. The others were far enough away not to get consumed by the initial wave but that wouldn’t be the case for long unless the swordsman got himself under control. Luffy saw Beardy go up in flames and he wouldn’t be surprised if he himself was as well. Luffy was lucky he couldn’t feel a damn thing. He knew these would be his last moments and he had to make them count.</p><p> </p><p>“Zoro, stand down!” He ordered as sharply as he could muster. But the energy was still there and growing. “Captain's orders!” That seemed to get through to him and the energy retreated. A heaving Zoro was suddenly right in front of him and Luffy smiled, wide and satisfied, before allowing himself to fall back as his vision completely blacked out. He could hear Zoro shouting for Chopper and calling his name but the voice was getting further and further away.</p><p> </p><p>And then there was nothing.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Warning: suicidal character that succeeds. It’s not permanent but you’ve been warned regardless.</p><p>Edit: Grave digger by Blues Saraceno.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em> This was all his fault, every bit of it </em>. Zoro thought as he watched his crew in varying states of grief and distress. Usopp, Nami, Chopper, and Franky were bawling over the stone slab which they had buried Luffy under a year ago, as Brook played his violin. Robin was fingering the ratty straw hat and Sanji had his head lowered, no tears, but he wasn’t even bothering with a lighter anymore, lighting his cigarette with the last embers of the previous one. Jinbe was kneeling with his eyes closed and Zoro, well Zoro just stood there.</p>
<p>
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</p>
<p>After a while they partied, celebrating their collective success. Their dreams were all at last fulfilled, but the celebration felt less like a joyous occasion and more like a mourning ritual. They had sailed for a year as a captainless crew, taking shifts to wear the straw hat as they sailed, all but Zoro. Zoro who protected them all, as the world’s greatest swordsman, through challenges and monsters and mountains in their way. They sang and danced and ate and drank, passing around the hat, reminiscing and teasing and laughing. They all ignored the giant hole in their hearts, and whenever one of them addressed Luffy when the night got darker and the sake showed its effect, no one said a thing. Zoro for once joined in the festivities, adding his own anecdotes as he drank and bantered with the crew. Yet in his mind the conflict that he had been suppressing started to rear its mighty head.</p>
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<p>What use was the title of world’s greatest swordsman? The dream he had strived for for so long had been fulfilled just before their first arrival at Laugh Tale. Yet, the more time passed, the more hollow the title felt. He defended it only because he was the first mate of the Pirate King, and he didn’t want to be an embarrassment. He didn’t see the point of it, despite all the years he’d been fixated on it. His childhood promise was a distant memory that paled in significance when compared to all the other things that had been lost. What greatest swordsman? He wasn’t capable of protecting his crew from the void in their chests or their grief, he could only push them forward. Remind them of the dreams their captain had fought so hard to protect. Now he couldn’t even do that anymore. </p>
<p>
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<p>As the crew slowly fell asleep one by one, exhausted from the emotional hurricane of the day, Zoro walked up to Chopper, gently took the straw hat from his grip and placed it on their captain’s grave. He sat down in front of it and took a swig of his sake. His mind and body were buzzing, whether it was from the sake, or his pent up emotions he really didn’t know. Zoro had always been a man of few words, yet standing before the cold gravestone of his captain and a straw hat without an owner, he wanted for nothing more than someone who would listen to the torrent of words he wished to unleash. Yet that was the one thing he couldn’t do with his crew, all sleeping around the waning bonfire. This was his punishment. He had burdened them all with a weight far too heavy to bear and this was the only method he had left with which to repent. <em> Well, almost the only method. </em></p>
<p>
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</p>
<p>“Foolish Senchou.” He muttered as he started another bottle, allowing his eye to slip closed, trying to block out the solid proof before him that the person he was addressing was gone. Zoro didn’t believe in god or spirits or the afterlife. Yet somehow, with his eyes closed and his sake in hand he started to speak to his dead captain in low murmurs.</p>
<p>
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<p>“Are you satisfied now? All our dreams have come true, so where are you?” He received no reply. He drank more sake. “Idiot Captain. Why’d you have to go and do something so fruitless? My dream was already fulfilled so why did you rush to your death? You could have made it. You would’ve pulled through. So why?” He closed his eyes more tightly, fighting against tears he had refused to allow to fall after that fateful day. <em> Shishishishi. Stupid Zoro. A wound on the back is the shame of a swordsman.  </em> Zoro chugs his sake and convinces himself that  <em> no he’s not crying.  </em>He didn’t just hear his captain’s laugh. He didn’t hear his voice. He’s just more drunk than he’s been in years. That’s all. Luffy would never say such a thing, he tells himself. Despite that, he knows, deep in his bones, that no one understood him better than Luffy. </p>
<p>
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</p>
<p>“Didn’t you know that this would be a greater shame than any scar?” He hears nothing this time. He chugs his drink and opens his eyes, ignoring how his vision is swimming. <em>Of course he knew. He just did it anyway.</em> Because his captain was a fool. It didn’t matter to him that his death was far more devastating than Zoro’s ever could have been. Not just for his crew but for the whole world. It didn’t matter to his captain that Zoro would happily die in exchange for his life. No. To Luffy, his nakama were more important than the world. That’s how this whole debacle even started. </p>
<p>
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</p>
<p>Luffy had found out that the Gorosei were targeting his crew, trying to assassinate them one by one when they were alone, when direct confrontations against them had failed again and again. Zoro had been the first to fall into the trap. He had gotten lost and separated from the group. Ten high level assassins had fallen upon him. He had won, <em>of course</em>, but when a wounded Zoro had reunited with the rest of them and Luffy laid eyes on him his smile had immediately fallen. When Zoro explained the situation to warn the rest of the crew, Luffy’s face had darkened to reveal a chilling visage and Zoro was reminded that his carefree captain was, in fact, the Pirate King. Then Luffy had smiled, not his usual sunny smile, but a foreboding grin. <em> “So they seriously think they can mess with us, huh?”  </em> For who else but the World Government would even dare at this point? And the Pirate King proceeded to wreak havoc on Mariejois, cutting the head off the snake, and dying soon after.  <em> For him. </em></p>
<p>
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<p>“Shitty Senchou.” He muttered with all the venom he could muster, glaring at the vacant relic before him. He understood why he had done it. Zoro was in anguish because it wasn’t he himself who had done it. He understood. But fuck him if he didn’t absolutely <em> hate  </em>it. It was because Zoro understood his captain’s wishes that he had pushed through. Ignoring his pain and his guilt until he had seen all his crew mates safely accomplish their dreams. However tonight, when the one thing that had been driving him disappeared in the flames of the celebratory bonfire, he felt no accomplishment. No pride. Zoro only felt lost. He had atoned for a year for the foolish mistake of leaving his back open. When he reached out with his observation haki, though emotions had always been Luffy’s specialty, he could still feel the anguish that penetrated to the core of every single member of the crew, even in their sleep. His attempt at righting that wrong wasn’t even able to scratch the surface. </p>
<p>
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</p>
<p>Zoro drank and then he drank some more. Now that his duty as first mate was complete he could only do one thing. The one thing he knew his captain would never allow. He glared at the straw hat laying on the cold stone slab in the middle of the island at the end of the world. He closed his eye once more and remembered. </p>
<p>
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</p>
<p>He remembered his first fight at Luffy’s side and the unyielding trust the man had displayed, despite the fact that Zoro had yet to join him. He remembered his first and only fight with his captain on the first island of the Grand Line over a silly misunderstanding. He remembered his captain’s exuberant laugh and open spirit in everything he did. He remembered lazy days on the Sunny when things were peaceful as they chased their next adventure. He remembered all the times when Luffy relied on him to protect the crew as he faced an insurmountable foe. He remembered the taste of blood and victory when they defeated foes that should’ve been impossible to topple. And Zoro cried. Tears he didn’t bother to deny. </p>
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<p>Then Zoro remembered how he had started the apocalypse. He remembered that grim and chilling smile. He remembered the feeling of his captain’s sheer force of will washing over him, destroying his enemies, yet the shield the captain erected for his crew was unyielding. They were all shielded, all but Zoro, for Zoro was the one that received solace from that power. He remembered losing control of the demon inside him when he felt Luffy’s interference save him. He remembered the regret he felt as he was swallowed by the sheer bloodlust. If only he had been the type of man that didn’t refuse to be shielded, he could’ve cleaved his foes in half as they suffered under his captain’s will. But no he was a stubborn bastard.</p>
<p>
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</p>
<p>Too stubborn. </p>
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<p>He knew it was wrong to so despise his captain’s final sacrifice, yet it could’ve all been avoided if only Zoro was more accepting of powers higher than himself. </p>
<p>For even now he knew the strength it must have taken for Luffy to protect him, knowing Zoro would hate him for it. And Zoro did. It was disappointing but unavoidable. No matter how much he hated it, he understood. Despite the fact that Luffy had done everything to respect his wishes he couldn’t help himself when faced with the possible loss of another important figure in his life. He couldn’t relive Ace, so he took his place. Zoro understood... but <em> damn, </em> it went against everything in his being. Zoro remembered how Luffy had used his last breaths to reign in the demon inside before he died. He remembered his captain’s last moments and the proud, satisfied smile on his face. His captain had died without regrets. And as much as he hated being protected, as much as he hated being the one that came out alive instead of Luffy, he was grateful. Luffy’s last moments were spent protecting him from himself, preventing him from destroying more of his nakama. He got to see the pure satisfaction in his captain’s eyes whereas the rest had nothing but grief. </p>
<p>
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<p>Zoro reached into his haramaki to the short blade without hilt or guard, whose chill kept him in check, when all he wanted was to allow the fire of rage inside him to roam free and destroy <em> everything.  </em> He had already achieved his goal. His crew mates had all safely achieved their dreams. He stared, fascinated by the glint of moonlight on the blade, even as he continued to drink. Staring at the blade had become something of a habit for him in the last year. Today he would allow it to fulfil its purpose.  <em> Zoro. Don’t.  </em>He thought he heard through his drunken haze.</p>
<p>
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<p>“Sorry Senchou. This’ll be my first and final mutiny. I’ll see you on the other side.” He didn’t believe in the afterlife or spirits but he replied to the voice in his imagination anyway. Then Zoro plunged the harakiri knife into his gut with all his might and pulled upwards. He vaguely registered his blood spattering onto the straw hat and damned himself for his carelessness as his blood tainted the pure legacy of his captain. The last thing he heard before all went dark was a voice that definitely didn’t belong to his captain. </p>
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<p>
  <em> Roronoa Zoro. You have no idea what you’ve started. </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Edit: Drink with the living dead by Ghoultown</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Luffy opened his eyes he felt disoriented and out of place. He was in a vaguely familiar bar, a very familiar devil fruit in his hands, half eaten. He was scoffing down the remainder before he fully realized what he was doing or where he was or what it meant. His head was in such pain and his own body felt constricting like shackles.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry, looks like we’ve finished all the sake here. Sorry about that. Here, if you don’t mind, take the last bottle.” Luffy heard a familiar voice speaking, though he couldn’t immediately place it. </p><p> </p><p>“Just who do you think I am? Don’t take me so lightly, one bottle is not enough!” He heard the sound of glass shattering.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh no! Now the floor is all wet!” Luffy felt a strong sense of deja vu as he turned to face the scene happening beside him in the bar. </p><p> </p><p>“See this? My head is worth eight million belli, I’m one of the prime fugitives here.” The guy said displaying a bounty poster. Luffy raised his eyebrow. Which 8 million belli fool would even attempt to go against him? He scanned the scene before him, searching for his nakama. He doesn’t find them. Instead he sees his familiar straw hat on the head of a flaming red head. His eyes widened at the inconsistency. “And I’ve killed 56 people before, you cocky bastard. Now that you know who I am don’t mess with us again.” That red hair and the hat could only mean one thing. Shanks. Still Luffy was struggling to find reasons through the fog of pain as to why some small time crook would be challenging the Pirate King and a Yonko. “After all, mountain bandits and sea pirates don’t mingle very well.” </p><p> </p><p>“Sorry about that Makino.” Makino? Luffy questions as he watches Shanks lower himself to the floor to pick up the broken bottom of the bottle. “Do you have a mop?” He saw it before it happened. The crook will slash at the bar very narrowly missing the woman behind it. Though he can’t even recognize where he is or why she and Shanks were here, there was still an indisputable need to protect and Shanks has yet to move from where he was picking up broken glass from the floor. <em>What is that old man thinking?</em> Seeing that Shanks wasn’t going to do anything, Luffy suppressed the random crook, unveiling a fraction of his haki. The bandit falls to the ground unconscious, just as he started to swing his sword. His friends quickly swarmed around him and carried him out, casting suspicious glances at Shanks and the rest of them. </p><p> </p><p>The people in the bar started making a ruckus and Luffy closed his eyes, hoping it would alleviate the raging headache he had. What’s he doing here? Last he remembered he was in Laugh Tale watching his crew celebrate their successes. Then Zoro was drunk, talking to him and… Shit Zoro! He jumped off the stool, eyes wide in fear and shock. He had tried to stop him but his immaterial spirit couldn’t do a damn thing. Where was he? He needed to find him! Maybe Zoro could still be saved. He runs to the door knowing he’s not even on the same island anymore. He’d be too late. Damn damn <em> damn </em>. He prayed that Chopper or anyone would wake up in time to save him and swore to himself that if he ever sees that idiot swordsman again he would find a way to kick his ass.</p><p> </p><p>“Luffy!” Shanks grabbed onto his hand as Luffy ran to the door, causing it to stretch. “His arm… it’s stretching!” Various exclamations came from the people around and Luffy now recognizes a few people from Shanks’ crew. He furrowed his brows and frowned. </p><p> </p><p>“Let go Shanks.” Luffy said. Shanks opened his mouth to reply.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s gone! The Gomu Gomu fruit we took from the enemy isn’t here!” Lucky Roo exclaimed. Luffy ignored him and tried to pull his arm out of Shanks’ grip but his strength failed him. Luffy glared. Damn it. He was in pain and he had places to be. Wait a minute. How was Shanks even able to see or touch him? Luffy looked down at himself with surprise. He was small, too small, none of the muscle he had built through rigorous exercise and countless fights. He pulls his shirt away from him and stars agape at the lack of a scar there. Not to mention he had two arms again. <em> What the fuck is this? </em>His mind was reeling, trying to come up with an explanation. Lucky Roo was talking and everyone was making way too much noise. Shanks came up to him and started freaking out about something before looking closely at the unreactive Luffy and shutting up. </p><p> </p><p>“Luffy are you alright?” He asked, kneeling in front of him. Luffy was a kid again. How did that happen? One minute he was a dead not quite thirty year old, the next he was a very much alive seven year old. Shanks touched his forehead and frowned. “Are you in pain? Devil fruits shouldn’t affect you like this.” <em> This is impossible. Could I be dreaming? </em>Luffy pinched his arm and felt the pain. Not a dream. Could he really be in the past? Did that mean his life was the dream? That was impossible, his imagination wasn’t that vivid. Did that mean his nakama were all still scattered all over the East Blue and the Grand Line? That would mean Zoro was still alive and well on some island in this Blue. Luffy’s shoulders sagged in relief. Now that his foremost concern had been somewhat mitigated he could focus on what was in front of him. Shanks was looking at him in concern and Makino had joined him. </p><p> </p><p>“Luffy?” Makino asked.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m ok. Just a headache.” He smiled but it wasn’t his usual bright grin. </p><p> </p><p>“Let me make you something warm then you should head up to bed.” She said firmly Luffy nodded and walked up to the bar. He glanced at the bar stool that was as tall as he was, no way was he gonna climb just to sit down. His body might have been seven but he sure as hell wasn't. He stretched out his arms and grabbed onto the counter using it to propel himself to a suitable height to sit, though he fumbled a bit due to this small body that he was unfamiliar with. Shanks sat down next to him frowning, he waved away his crew and told them to keep their voices down until Luffy went up to bed. </p><p> </p><p>“Luffy you seem pretty calm about this devil fruit business. It’s serious you know. You’ll never be able to swim, makes it pretty hard to be a pirate.” Shanks said, probably thinking he didn’t understand the situation. That made Luffy laugh. He understood way better than Shanks could imagine.</p><p> </p><p>“Shishishi. It’s fine isn’t it? I’ll have my nakama to look after me, won’t I?” Genuinely smiling for the first time since he had opened his eyes. Shanks laughed.</p><p> </p><p>“I guess you will.” Makino placed a mug of steaming milk in front of Luffy. He accepted it and thanked her before blowing on it and taking a tentative sip. He looked up to see both Makino and Shanks looking at him weirdly. He shrugged it off. </p><p> </p><p>“Hey Luffy, I gotta ask you something and it might sound strange.” Shanks said, looking uncharacteristically serious. Luffy nodded and turned to face the red haired man. It was strange looking at him now, he was so much younger than Luffy was used to and he still had both his arms. Luffy forced himself to focus.</p><p> </p><p>“You know that bandit that was just in here?” Luffy nodded. “Do you know why he passed out so suddenly like that?” Luffy opened his mouth to reply before shutting it again with a click. His brows furrowed. He was seven again, he wasn’t supposed to know about haki, let alone control it at will. But he couldn’t very well just tell Shanks that he was actually not quite thirty and the Pirate King. Luffy would need to be careful with his words and actions, at least until he fully understood what was going on. So he just shook his head and buried the guilt he felt lying to man. Shanks sighed and started mumbling under his breath.</p><p> </p><p>“Was I imagining it? He’s way too young and that wasn’t some random outburst, it seemed controlled. What should I tell him?” Luffy blamed the sake for the mumbling and pretended he couldn’t hear him as he finished off his milk. Shanks called his first mate over and they began to discuss something in hushed whispers. Makino took away his mug and ushered him upstairs to bed. Luffy reluctantly went up to calls of good night and get well soon from Shanks and his crew. He wasn’t sleepy at all but he was tired to his bones. </p><p> </p><p>He lay down on the bed and stared out the window at the starry sky. What the hell was he supposed to do now? Live his life like before? Wait another ten years before seeing his nakama? No fucking way could he do that. That year that he spent waiting for them at Laugh Tale was bad enough. The question was if he would be able to get them back in his current state. He lifted his small hands above his head and looked at them through the light of the moon. No calluses or scars from all his fights, he tried coating them in haki but only the lightest sheen appeared and within seconds it was gone. Luffy frowned. He would need to train for a while before he even tried. </p><p> </p><p>He thought about where they would all be now. Zoro was probably still in his hometown and so were Nami and Usopp. Sanji was somewhere on the seas and Robin was on the run. Chopper, Frankie, and Brook would be easy to find but he needed to get strong enough to handle the Grand Line before that. Jinbe would be on the seas too but he was notorious, so he shouldn’t be too hard to find. That’s when Luffy remembered and he shot up from the bed. Ace was still alive. Sabo was here. His brothers were still here, alive and well, within arms reach. Luffy practically leapt to start climbing Mt Colubo. He was halfway out of the window before he froze. Ace didn’t know him yet and neither did Sabo. The urge to see them alive, breathing and warm was almost overwhelming, however, if he was going to stay here to train he would have his chance to see them. He could save them this time. He wouldn’t let Sabo blow up and lose his memories, he wouldn’t let Ace pursue Blackbeard. He could save them. He looked up at the sky and with all his heart thanked whatever force or God had sent him back. </p><p> </p><p>He would train, harder than ever before. He would build up as much strength as this tiny body could handle. He would spend time with his brothers and use his knowledge of the future to keep them safe. When he was strong enough he would sail out and gather as many of his nakama as he could. Luffy got down from the window and went back into bed. With a course of action decided he settled and attempted to sleep. His mind and soul were buzzing the pain in his head forgotten now that he realized just what this could mean. He could save all his important people so much pain. He could become stronger than he ever was before and this time he would live to see everyone accomplish their dreams without the pain of losing those who were dear to them. He would become strong enough to be a shield for all his friends and family without dying. He closed his eyes and the image of Zoro stabbing himself while he stood there helpless and incorporeal, still vivid in his mind. That was his fault. His swordsman, the stoic man who understood him better than anyone, had disemboweled himself with a blade in an act of ritual suicide because Luffy hadn’t been strong enough to stay alive after protecting his nakama. Luffy wasn’t a fool. He had seen how deeply his loss had affected his crew, both when they buried him and when they returned to him a year later.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Luffy stood there watching. He had tried to talk to them, even screamed, to no avail. He had tried to touch them but his spirit just passed through them. He wanted them to know that he was still here. He hadn’t left them. Yet as they cried and despaired he was absolutely useless. It was Zoro who, after what seemed like hours, had pulled the crew together with his words. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Luffy’s last acts were to make sure all of us would get out alive. Why do you think he did that?” No one replied. “His dream was already fulfilled. He did what he did for us and our dreams. We can’t wallow in our despair, we have to set sail again and accomplish all we set out to do, and before we do we cannot return here. How do any of you have the guts to just sit here wasting your time and crying? You’re completely disregarding his sacrifice.” Luffy wanted to punch Zoro straight in the face. He was being too harsh with them. Their wounds were still too fresh. But Zoro hadn’t been wrong and Luffy watched as they all wiped away their tears and stood straight, a determined fire ablaze in their eyes.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “I call dibs on our first destination.” Sanji had said. “Next stop, All Blue.” Then he put on Luffy’s hat and helped Nami to her feet.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Can’t have a complete map of the world without that, now can we?” She had said with a shaky smile.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “After that we’re going to find the last of the Rio poneglyphs.” Everyone nodded and placed their heels on a barrel of sake before smashing it open, drinking it dry, and disappearing from his sight.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Luffy had waited for them on the island, passing the time by exploring and interacting with the creatures on the island and the surrounding waters and Roger’s ghost in the rare times he made an appearance. He didn’t know how or why he could but he was grateful for the distraction they provided. Without it he’d have spent all his days simply staring at the horizon, worrying about his nakama and wishing he could have set sail with them again and been there in the moment their dreams were finally accomplished. He could still remember the joy Zoro had felt after finally defeating Mihawk and how they had partied through the night. Luffy had never seen his first mate laugh so much or so drunk. He remembered how proud Usopp was as they sailed away from Elbaf after he had made a name for himself and was acknowledged by the great giant clan as a brave warrior of the sea. He remembered Robin’s enthralled expression when they came across their first Rio poneglyph and how she had spoken for hours on end to anyone who would listen about all her theories and assumptions and all they had been missing and there was so much they still didn’t know. He remembered how he and Franky had laughed together when they finally reached Laugh Tale. Franky was crying and hugging the figurehead of the Sunny while Luffy himself had jumped around swinging from trees, drinking and eating meat until his stomach almost burst. He remembered the tears Brook had cried and the happy chirping sounds of Laboon when the two had finally reunited and how they had all sung themselves hoarse in celebration. </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> Luffy wanted nothing more than to be able to see the expressions on the rest of his crew mates as they accomplished their dreams. He wanted to celebrate with them and tell them, “See? I knew we could do it!” And laugh. He didn’t know how much time had passed before his wish was fulfilled but there they were. First they were sad and crying but then they pulled themselves together and feasted for the entire day and most of the night before falling asleep around the bonfire. That’s when Zoro had walked up to his grave. Drinking and grumbling and crying, and Luffy’s heart </em> ached <em> , because he knew that out of all of them, his death had hit Zoro the worst. Yet his first mate had continued with his duties. Luffy understood how hard that must have been. He himself had lost a brother before his very eyes as Ace died to protect him. Luffy had lost his mind and had it not been for Jinbe he might have never recovered. Zoro had no such help and Luffy saw the full effect that had on him when Zoro pulled out the hiltless guardless blade from his haramaki. He had underestimated the pain and guilt his first mate was pushing down in order to complete his mission. He had been completely helpless. He could do nothing but watch as his closest friend died before him, and it was all his fault for not being there.  </em></p><p> </p><p>Luffy wiped away the tears that were flowing down. He wouldn’t make the same mistakes this time around. He wouldn’t slack off on his training, he would make smarter choices, and he wouldn’t die before he was certain that his crew was fulfilled and could take his loss. His new goal set, he willed his mind to go blank and fell into a restless sleep. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Zoro woke up with the mother of all hangovers. He groaned and placed one arm over his eyes to block out the invasive sunlight that seeped through his eyelids while the other reached up to massage his temples. He wanted to go right back to sleep but somehow he couldn’t settle. He frowned as he noticed the lack of the ship’s steady rocking. Had they accidentally drifted into the calm belt again? If they had, he had to make sure Sanji was awake to ward off the Sea Kings before he allowed himself to doze off again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He opened his eyes, surprised to see wooden beams above him as opposed to the familiar now empty hammock. Zoro frowned deeper as he sat up from the futon. Why was he in a futon to begin with? Something was off. He reached to his side, seeking the comfort of his swords and he found nothing but empty space. He searched the room he was in but they weren’t in sight. The room didn’t seem like a prison, there was a bed and furniture and a window and he wasn’t even cuffed. Yet his weapons weren’t anywhere to be found and he wouldn’t feel safe until he had them strapped to his side. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He reached out with his haki searching for signs of life. He picked up on a handful of people and frowned when his circle of observation stopped expanding at a far earlier point than it should have. The closest one was far enough from the door that he felt comfortable opening it. The sight he was met with caused him to stagger back a few steps. Past the roofed corridor was an open air training courtyard, a very familiar one. Why was he back in the dojo at Shimotsuki? Was he dreaming? He reached up to tug at his earrings just to see if he felt any pain, only to find his ear bare. He pinched the inside of his elbow instead surprising himself with the pain. <em>Aren’t I </em></span>
  <em>
    <span>supposed to be dead? What the fuck is this?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Was this supposed to be heaven? If it was, Zoro would be majorly pissed, what kind of sick joke would that be? He looked back at the room he had been occupying, definitely Kuina’s old room but no Kuina and none of her possessions, not even Wado. Zoro searched the entire dojo, opening all rooms and ignoring the other students that greeted him. No Luffy either. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What sorry excuse for heaven was this?  </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He finally went into the official hall of the dojo and to his great relief he found Wado there, along with two basic katanas leaning on the wall. He reached out and was surprised to find that his hand barely wrapped around the hilt. He looked down, confused, only to see a very small hand gripping the hilt. </span>
  <em>
    <span>No fucking way</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He looked down at himself wearing a simple dark green gi. He was fucking tiny. The floor was too close and his arms and chest were too skinny, through the gap at the neck opening he could see the distinct </span>
  <em>
    <span>lack</span>
  </em>
  <span> of a scar running across his chest. The </span>
  <em>
    <span>gift</span>
  </em>
  <span> from Mihawk had given him had stayed with him for over ten years and he felt completely wrong without it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Why was Zoro a child again? What was going on? And why was it happening? Was this some sort of devil fruit ability? But the Toki Toki no Mi was only supposed to allow you to go forward not back. Zoro held his head as it started to pulse with the pain. Zoro had somehow travelled back. Kuina was already dead so he was definitely older than seven but his ears weren’t pierced so he was younger than twelve. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zoro groaned at how nonsensical his situation was. He didn’t even know how old he was for fucks sake. Zoro really needed a drink. He was about to sneak into the sensei’s room for just that, when he froze. If he was back to his younger self did that mean that the others were too? That somewhere in the very same Blue, he could find Luffy? A Luffy that was alive and breathing? Zoro scrambled back to the room as he tied the three swords into his belt. He rummaged around the room until he found a small coin purse and rushed back out, only to bump right into Koushirou. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whoa Zoro, where are you running off to so early in the morning? Did you already finish your morning training?” Zoro glared up at the man and stewed at the fact that he even had to crane his neck so far just to meet the man’s eyes. His muscles were twitching with the single minded need to get out of here and go find his captain. He forced himself to take a deep breath and calm down. He shouldn’t be losing his head right now. He needed calm and he needed focus if he was to make it to his destination as quickly as possible. Zoro took two steps back and then bowed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you for taking care of me.” He said then he straightened back up. “I’ll be heading out today.” He stated firmly. Koushirou frowned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s the rush? You’re still far too young to go out to the Blues by yourself. Didn’t you say you wanted to train for a few more years? You’re not even ten yet.” There was the answer to that question. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Things change. I’ll still keep up my training, I just can’t do it here. There’s someone I need to find.” Koushirou looked down at his student. His shoulders were squared and his eyes sure and steady. The older man sighed. When Zoro had that determined expression on his face nothing would be able to move him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Very well. At least take some food and clothes with you. Honestly, how far did you think you were going to get with just your swords?” Zoro's jaw twitched and he held up the coin purse with all his savings. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll use this to buy passage on a merchant ship and food. When I get to where I’m going I won’t need to worry about any of that.” When he found Luffy all he would need was to find a way to befriend the boy and train as much as was physically possible, his swords would provide him with food and safety. The sensei sighed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait here.” Zoro obeyed but after a few minutes he started practically bouncing in place. When was the last time he had felt so wired? So excited and nervous? Time was passing too slowly for Zoro’s liking. He wasn’t acting like himself, hadn’t been since he realized the possibilities held within this unbelievable situation. He felt like there was fire in his veins. Not the cool fire of rage and ruthlessness he felt during a fight but something white hot. Hope he realized. The same emotion he’d felt making that promise with Kuina.  Zoro didn’t hesitate. He didn’t operate based on probability of success. He chose what he believed was right and acted accordingly. This time he didn’t know if what he was going to do was right. He might be making a huge mistake and destroying the buds of the future that he had known. Yet every fiber of his being was pushing him towards Luffy. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Yes, that’s right. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Zoro didn’t doubt himself. He followed his instincts without fail and if there was an obstacle in his way he would cut it down. If by going to Luffy now he changed the future he would simply find a different way to round up the whole crew again. He looked down at his small hands and clenched them into fists. He needed to get stronger, much stronger than he ever was in his previous go at life. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Take these.” Kyoushirou said, holding out a leather bag. “There’s food, water, a change of clothes, tools to maintain your swords, and some extra berries.” Zoro shook his head, unwilling to accept more kindness from the man that had been taking care of him for the past years. “Consider it an investment. When you become the World’s Greatest Swordsman, I’ll have been the first to help you get to the top.” His sensei said with a small smile. Zoro saw through the man, he knew he didn’t care one bit for any of the fame or glory he would receive when Zoro got to the top. In fact the geezer had often complained to him that he was getting too much work because of him. Zoro accepted the bag anyway, not wanting to spit in the face of his old mentor’s good intentions. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zoro bowed once more then walked out of the dojo, towards the port. He didn’t look back. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This chapter is kinda similar to the previous one but I couldn’t comfortably write it any other way. The way I see it, despite their opposite personalities, Luffy and Zoro at their core are the same. Loyal and protective to a fault. Next chapter we get Ace and Sabo!</p><p>Let me know what you think of the story so far.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So this chapter ended up being waaay longer than I thought it would be so Ace and Sabo are going to have to wait another chapter or two. </p><p>Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“We’ll be back in a week or so to say our goodbyes to everyone. Try not to get into too much trouble in the meantime, ok?” Shanks said, ruffling Luffy’s hair. Luffy had run out to the docks as soon as he woke up because Makino told him Shanks and the crew would be leaving to make preparations for the Grand Line before coming back for one last goodbye. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry about me, Shanks! I’m going to become the Pirate King! I’ll be even stronger than you one day!” Shanks laughed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure you will, anchor. Before we leave I’ve got a gift for you but you’ll have to wait until we come back from our supply run to get it!” Luffy nodded enthusiastically, almost certain of what the gift would be and he was anticipating it greatly. He seriously missed the familiar weight and presence of the straw hat he had had since childhood. The red haired pirates sailed off and Luffy waved until they were out of sight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luffy ran back to Makino’s and demanded breakfast. He hadn’t quite figured out how to make requests politely before he died but at least he could do thank yous which he happily gave to Makino when she served him. The woman sat across from him smiling fondly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m glad to see that you’re feeling better this morning.” She said with a smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Me too!” He said through his mouthful of eggs and bacon. Makino giggled at his antics.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey Luffy, since when did you pick up manners?” Luffy opened his mouth to regale her with all the different ways Sanji and Nami had beaten them into him. Before he shut it again and stuffed himself with more food as he thought of an appropriate response. Luffy had never been quite as rude as Ace, but he could never seem to get the hang of polite speech. It felt unnatural to him so he never bothered spending energy on it. Then again Luffy had always been a slow learner when it came to everything but fighting.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Makino taught me!” He replied enthusiastically after swallowing as the answer came to him. He gave her a big bright smile, feeling guilty for the half truth but so so happy to be spending a peaceful morning with her like this. Makino laughed again. A beautiful sound that reminded him of wind chimes in spring.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah, So you do actually listen when I’m talking!” She said fondly ruffling his hair. Luffy swallowed again before speaking this time so his voice would be clearly heard.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course! I love Makino!” He said loudly. And it was true, Makino was something like a mother and an older sister to him. She was kind and soft and she was always indulging him and looking out for him and, when he got them, his brothers too. Even after becoming the Pirate King he hadn’t gotten to see her much. He’d dropped by Goa and given her his entire share of all the treasure they had accumulated through their journeys, despite Nami’s loud exclamations that she wouldn’t be lending him any money. He had been shocked to see how much older she’d gotten with grey hairs and wrinkles but her warm smile was still the same as she reached up to ruffle his hair and tell him she knew he could do it. He pushed aside those thoughts in favor of drinking in the Makino in front of him who was staring at him in shock. A few moments later she composed herself and reached over the table to ruffle his hair with a small soft smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I love you too, kiddo.” She said and then she went behind the bar to start washing glasses. He heard her sniffle a few times and he frowned. He had told her he loved her because he now knew what it was like to be dead and he knew the weight of all the words left unsaid because he believed they were obvious. Last night he had resolved not to make any of the same mistakes as the last time. This time he would truly live without regret, without losing or hurting the ones he loved. He reached out with his observation haki, brushing aside the disappointment when it reached far less than it should have and focused on Makino. She was definitely crying quietly but her energy felt like a bomb right before it exploded, not the dim light of someone despairing. So Makino was happy. Luffy smiled his widest grin, impossible without his rubber body. He had made Makino so happy with words he always felt but never said, that she was about to burst. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luffy finished his breakfast and carried the plate over to her. She took the plate without looking at him, probably attempting to hide her face so he wouldn’t notice her tears. Luffy’s grin got wider and he stretched out his arms and wrapped them around her three times before squeezing her with all his might and feeling that bomb explode. Makino let out a small sob and Luffy held on for a few more minutes as she cried and hugged him back, the scent of soap and sake and sea overwhelming his senses. When her breath started to even out Luffy let go and dashed out of the bar.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m gonna go train now! See you at lunch!” He said with a wave before running over to the base of Mt. Colubo. He wanted to run up the hill at full speed and hunt down Ace, but he </span>
  <em>
    <span>needed</span>
  </em>
  <span> to get stronger. Especially if he wanted to be strong enough in time to save Sabo. So Luffy would spend this week or two, until his Gramps came to deliver him to Dadan and he got his hat back, training. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luffy started by trying to punch a tree with all his might. He didn’t even crack it. He tried again, this time using his rubber limbs to add momentum and force. His punch hit the ground and bounced off missing his target completely. Luffy frowned down at his small body. First, he would need to work on coordination, and getting his body to do what he told it to. Before he could do that though he needed to find out his range, how far his limbs would stretch before snapping back to him. He tested it out by walking back each time he threw a successful punch. More often than not his arm would flail and refuse to move in a straight line. It frustrated him terribly but he told himself this was the price of a new beginning. He just had to get used to it, that’s all. And so he pushed forward. Trying again and again until his arm couldn’t reach the tree anymore. He judged the length to be about twenty four gomu gomus. Now that he knew the range of his arms he could start focusing more on control. He walked closer to the tree that he had been aiming for, which even after multiple hits was barely dented, and wound up his arm for another punch. He was interrupted by his stomach loudly gurgling. Luffy looked up to the sky and was surprised to see that the sun was already past its zenith. Luffy abandoned his training in search of food. He walked back into town to find Makino worriedly talking to the Chief.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Makino! Old man!” He calls out to them and watches as their worried expressions melt away. He smiles at them, happy to see them feeling better than when he first spotted them. The old man clicked his tongue and shook his head before walking away. Makino squatted so she was at eye level with him and grabbed his shoulders.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Luffy! You had me worried sick! You missed lunch and since you were feeling sick yesterday I thought something happened to you.” She said, eyes worried but shoulders relieved.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shishishishi. I’m all good Makino! I just lost track of time when I was training. I want meat!” Makino shakes her head and leads him into the bar, where the mountain that was his lunch was waiting for him, now cold. Luffy pounced on it, feeling positively ravenous.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“At least let me heat it back up for you. Honestly, you look like you were starving to death!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is ok! Thank you Makino.” Makino smiled at the way he spoke, cheeks stuffed like a chipmunk and food flying as he spoke. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You really worried me, you know. You’ve never been late for a meal before.” She said and her tone was completely serious but her eyes were fond. Luffy kept scarfing down his food and when he managed to finally swallow without his stomach begging for more he replied. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Makino worries too much!” And Luffy continued to dig into his delicious food. Not as good as Sanji’s but definitely the second best he’s had in his whole life. Makino sighed and shook her head but she left him to his meal as she started to prepare the bar for the evening shift. Luffy finished his food in record time, took his plate to the sink, and rushed out the door again with a wave.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come back when it gets dark!” Makino called after him. He ran all the way back to the tree he was training with. He was panting by the time he arrived and he added increasing his stamina to the list of things he needed to work on immediately. At this rate he’d never be able to keep up with Ace and Sabo. How did he even survive the first time around? He was so weak. Luffy set himself to the task of throwing one punch after the other, first his right hand then his left, about five gomu gomus away from the tree. By the time it got dark at least half his punches were connecting. He reluctantly stopped his training there for the day and ran full throttle back to Makino’s, despite his aching limbs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Makino had a plate of food waiting for him behind the bar when he arrived and she served him with a smile. He devoured it after a quick thank you with a smile. When he was done he placed his plate in the sink, knowing better than to try to help with the dishes. He never quite figured out how to clean them without breaking them, much to Sanji’s ire and Usopp’s frustration. Usopp always seemed to be the one who ended up taking over his shift of dish duty. Luffy rubbed his chest, hoping to soothe the ache he felt at the lack of his nakama. After a few minutes, it passed and Luffy went out to the bar, talking animatedly with the fishermen and the merchants and the farmers who had come to unwind after a long days work, just to distract himself. A while later he let out a large yawn, made wider by his rubber body. Makino noticed and sent him off to bed. Luffy obeyed and passed out as soon as his head hit the pillow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luffy spent a week and a half like that. Training, eating at Makino’s, running errands for her, training some more, spending some time with people of the village and then passing out as soon as his head hit the pillow. After the first week, he could manage to fell a tree with only a couple of punches so he had moved on to training with his haki, preferring to have a small proficiency in every field possible rather than strive for mastery at this point. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On the eleventh day since he had woken up in the past, Luffy was enjoying a glass of cold water after lunch before heading out again when Makino interruptted their comfortable silence.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They’ve been away for a while now. Do you feel lonely, Luffy?” She asked while polishing a glass. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nah. Shanks said he was coming back soon to say goodbye and he said he had a gift for me when he came back before he left for the Grand Line. I can’t wait! Besides I have Makino!” Of course, Luffy had referred to getting his beloved hat back. Luffy wasn’t certain that that was what Shanks had been referring to when he had said that, after all Luffy didn’t remember him saying such a thing the first time around. He guessed that those were simply the consequences of acting in a different manner than he had in the past. Makino laughed and tried to hide her blush. This had become Luffy’s new favourite hobby, saying sweet things to Makino and seeing how she reacted, allowing the feeling to wash over him as he practiced his observation haki. Despite all the things Luffy had yet to do he was oddly content with these moments of peace, refamiliarizing himself with his hometown. Luffy suddenly went on the alert when he felt unfamiliar energies coming close to the bar. Not the villagers, these people carried hostility and resentment with them as they approached. A few moments later the doors to the bar opened. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In walked the group of bandits that had bothered Shanks on his last night here. Luffy’s eyes narrowed as they walked in, commenting on Shanks and his crew being missing, before sitting down and demanding Makino to bring them sake. Luffy’s eyes narrowed further but he didn’t say anything. He vaguely remembered these bandits kidnapping him from before and being completely defeated by Benn Beckmann before their leader had taken him out to sea. Shanks had lost his arm saving him from that situation. Luffy’s mind whirred as he tried to figure out how to avoid that outcome this time around. He tried to form a plan based on what little he remembered and his current capabilities. If all else failed he could always knock the bastard out with his haki again before it came to that, but he would rather avoid that so he wouldn’t arouse suspicion from Shanks when he inevitably showed up. His thought process was interrupted by loud laughter coming from the bandits. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I mean how cowardly do you have to be? Attacking the leader with a dirty trick to avoid conflict? They’re just a bunch of sea chickens.” Luffy heard the arrogant bandit boasting and saw red. What did that small time rookie know? Shanks had literally lost an arm for him. He protected his crew and his friends even if he had to suffer in exchange. He was the spark that first lit the fire inside Luffy. How dare this cockroach mock and demean Shanks just so he could hide his own incompetence? It wasn’t even Shanks that had knocked him out. It had been Luffy. Before he registered what he was doing he had jumped off the stool.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shut up! You don’t know a damn thing about Shanks!!” He shouted. The bandits all fell silent. Then the leader started to laugh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well if it isn’t the brat from last time. Tell me brat, what makes you think you can talk to me like that?” The leader stood up and walked over to him trying to loom over him. Luffy wasn’t intimidated. He glared up at the man and replied with complete conviction.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m stronger than you.” Luffy deadpanned as if it were obvious. They all laughed but that just made Luffy’s anger rise. He was the Pirate King! He and his nakama had fought through blood, sweat, and tears to achieve their dreams and protect each other. Everyone but the highest echelons of the World Government had been too intimidated (or friendly with them) to even attempt to stand against them. Luffy wasn’t worried about some small time crook in the East Blue. Even in his current sorry state he could take them down with ease.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d like to see you try, brat.” And Luffy almost fell for the bait. The bandit grabbed him by the collar and started to drag him out. He was about to unleash the full force of his haki on these simple idiots. They didn’t even realize how huge and powerful the world beyond their borders was. He fisted his arms at his sides and suddenly he was so very grateful that he’d been focusing on training his observation haki because the sharp spike of worry and fear in Makino’s energy kept him from losing his mind to the rage. He couldn’t risk Makino while dealing with these simpletons. So he allowed himself to be dragged out of the bar, into the street and tossed to the ground. He reached out, no one important was in the vicinity, Makino had run off in the direction of the chief's house. There were a few villagers in their houses but they weren’t within the range of his conqueror’s haki if he only unleashed the fraction of it for a few seconds. That much ought to be enough. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You really shouldn’t run your mouth, brat. Especially when your cunning pirate friends aren’t here to protect you. I suppose I should give you credit though, at least you’re not as much of a coward as the rest of those bastards.” The bandit leader said as he stomped on his face and that was it. It was bad enough that this bastard felt strong by stomping on kids, but calling Shanks a coward and a bastard? Luffy wouldn’t stand for it. He twisted himself in unnatural ways to look the leader in the eye, it wasn’t necessary but Luffy wanted to see the fear in that idiot's eyes when he realized the mistake he had made. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll give you one chance to apologize and disappear from this island.” Luffy said, making eye contact with the leader. The man laughed and his cronies joined in.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It really pisses me off when a brat believes he has the right to talk back to me.” He said and kicked Luffy once more. He had given his opponent fair warning, it wasn’t his fault that they were retarded, He unleashed his haki, purposefully shielding the leader himself from it, he didn’t entirely succeed, judging by how the man swayed. Luffy watched from under his foot as the man looked around him, his underlings all passed out on the dusty street around him, fear and anxiety showed on his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Never insult Shanks again.” Luffy said firmly before directing his haki solely on the bandit above him. The man immediately collapsed and Luffy kicked him a few times just to vent out his anger before Makino showed up with the old man. Luffy dusted himself off as they took in the scene before them, eyes wide in shock. Luffy smiled at them, the whole debacle forgotten now that he had vented most of his rage. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Luffy!” Makino rushed to him and pulled him into a fierce hug. Woop Snap was eyeing the bandits suspiciously as if they would get up and attack at any moment. Luffy wasn’t entirely confident in his capabilities in this small body, in his time those idiots would be out for a week, even considering how small the amount of haki that he had released was. At this point he was certain that it would take them, at bare minimum, a few hours to come to their senses. “I’m so glad you’re ok! What happened?” Makino asked, hugging him while crying. Luffy returned the gesture and ran his fingers through her hair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shishishishi. Why do you think I’ve been training so hard? I want to become strong enough to protect everyone! Those idiots were so weak, they weren’t even a challenge!” Luffy said proudly, trying to soothe her worries.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was wondering why no one welcomed us at the port. What happened here?” Shanks said walking down the road. He pinpointed the bandit leader at Luffy’s feet and ‘accidentally’ kicked a few of his cronies as he made his way to Luffy and Makino. Makino finally released her hold on Luffy and he turned to Shanks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nothing at all! You’re back now. Let’s go to Makino’s and celebrate! I hope you brought my gift with you!” Luffy replied, purposefully avoiding a direct answer to the question, a skill he had learned from Robin, he rubbed at his chest to dispel the pain even as he grabbed Shanks’ hand and dragged him to the bar, maintaining his act as a clueless seven year old. He trusted the chief to deal with the unconscious bandits while he made merry with the red haired crew. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sake was flowing like rain and the crew was telling Luffy all about the different islands they had visited as they resupplied in East Blue. Lucky Roo was telling Luffy how they had run into trouble trying to dock at a particular port, that at the time had been swarming with marines when Shanks pulled him away and lifted him up to sit at a stool by the bar next to him. Makino served Shanks some sake and a cup of juice for Luffy. Luffy glanced longingly at the sake, he forced away memories of his first mate and his constant drinking and how Luffy himself had picked up the habit as he spent long nights on watch with the swordsman. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So what happened with those bandits today?” Shanks asked, trying to sound casual. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Didn’t I tell you? My punch is as strong as a pistol!” He exclaimed with pride, avoiding a direct answer to the question. Shanks laughed before turning to him with a stern expression on his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m serious Luffy. How did you knock all those guys out?” Shanks asked uncharacteristically furtive and serious. Luffy wished he could answer the man honestly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let me drink as much sake as I want tonight and maybe I’ll tell you!” Luffy said fully expecting the other man to refuse.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No way! Makino would kill me!” Luffy said nothing and shrugged as he sipped his juice. A few minutes passed in silence. “You’re really not gonna tell me?” Shanks asked. Luffy looked him in the eye and laughed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not unless I get my sake!” Honestly, Luffy didn’t even enjoy sake that much, he only drank it during celebrations and when he was on watch with his first mate because a nightmare had kept him from sleep. Still, Luffy couldn’t deny the craving he felt for it. Everyone around him was celebrating, and though he didn’t have any accomplishments worth celebrating he still craved the taste that he hadn’t experienced since before he died, drinking with Zoro as they were both on lookout before they were even aware of their most difficult and significant battle yet. His last battle. The taste of the promise he had made with his brothers. He yearned for that sense of camaraderie that came along with it. So he held firm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A few minutes later when Makino was busy with Benn and his table, Shanks passed him the drink. Luffy didn’t hesitate as he finished the half empty glass before him. The alcohol was hot as it travelled down his throat to his gut, the taste brought back so many memories of victory and peaceful nights looking at the stars that he almost started to cry. Shanks looked around before pouring another glass when Luffy remained silent. He drank half of it before pushing it back in front of Shanks as Makino returned. Luffy sipped at his juice and contemplated how he should answer Shanks. He thought back to all of Robin’s advice. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Put as much truth into your lies as possible, that will make it more plausible. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Those weaklings were insulting you and your crew. I didn’t like it. You guys are my friends.” Luffy was being completely honest here as he mumbled his reply. His body was already feeling warm and humming from the effects of the sake. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Damn this tiny body.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Shanks finished the drink before him and poured himself another one. Luffy stole it with rubber limbs when Makino turned away to serve drinks to the others at the bar. Luffy chugged half the glass before returning it to Shanks and continuing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No one messes with my friends and gets away with it.” Luffy stated, draining his juice. Shanks stayed quiet, waiting for him to continue. Makino had returned and refilled his glass with ice water. “So I told them to shut up.” As Lucky Roo stole her attention, Luffy stole more sake. “They called you cowards. I wanted to beat them up then and there.” So far Luffy had spoken nothing but truth. “But I didn’t want to risk hurting Makino or messing up her bar, so I let them take me outside.” Shanks finished his mostly empty glass and refilled it before immediately drinking more than half of it. Luffy was struck by how uncharacteristically quiet the red head was being, hiding his eyes beneath the straw hat that Luffy itched to reach forward and seize. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They took me outside and kicked me a few times, but it didn’t hurt because my body is rubber!” Shanks chugged the rest of his drink and refilled it. Luffy seized the opportunity while Makino was washing glasses to sneak in a few more gulps. “Then he called you guys cowards again and I lost my temper. I told them to apologize but the guy just laughed. I’m not really sure what happened after that, I was just so mad, but they all fell down, unconscious. I gave the guy a few strong kicks just to make sure he was down and that’s about the time when you showed up.” Luffy wished he had his hat to hide his shifting eyes but he needn’t have worried, for it was being put to use hiding Shanks’ expression and blocking his vision of the rest of the world. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shanks called over Benn and Roo and whispered something to them, before lifting his hat and facing Luffy full on. The two walked off and wrapped their arms around Makino’s shoulders before starting to sing Binks’ sake loudly, the rest of the crew joining in. As they danced and sang, Shanks leaned in closer to Luffy and despite knowing what was going to be said, the man’s expression and energy had him on edge so he reached out for the sake but Shanks grabbed his hand and stopped him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Luffy I want you to listen carefully. There exists a powerful ability that is very rare and very special. You’re one of the few that has it. This can lead to very good things or very bad things. So answer this for me, if you had the power of a King, what would you do with it?” Shanks was making direct eye contact, searching for answers.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I would become the freest person in the world and strong enough to keep my friends happy and safe! I’ll be the Pirate King” Luffy said sincerely with a huge smile. He was certain he would, he had already done it once before. This time he would do it better, with no regrets. Shanks looked at him for a few moments, he found only determination and certainty in Luffy’s wide black eyes. The man nodded then took his hat and placed it firmly on Luffy’s head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll look forward to that then.” He said before he started laughing and handed Luffy his sake. Luffy gratefully took it and hid his tears under the rim of his hat. He wasn’t really sure why he was crying but he was definitely overwhelmed. This whole thing seemed like a dream. The alcohol burned his throat and settled warm in his stomach and his tears fell harder. Shanks bonked him on the head. “You’re not gonna be the King of anything crying like that.” Luffy wiped his eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not crying, you old geezer, your eyes must be going.” Shanks laughed, loud and long and hard and this time Luffy joined him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next morning he stood on the pier and waved the red haired pirate crew off with a smile. He watched in delight as they waved back at him, setting off to the Grand Line, Shanks with both arms and a wide smile on his face, before he turned to his crew and yelled at them to get to work. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luffy smiled and went to the base of the mountain to continue his training.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Luffy was practicing his armament haki in conjunction with his observation haki. There was a circle of felled trees surrounding him at the base of Mt. Colubo from where he was focusing on improving the strength of his punch and his haki control. At the same time he was keeping an eye out for his Gramps, whenever he showed up. It had been four days since he had started this particular training regimen. Luffy was starting to get worried that Gramps wasn’t coming at all, the very idea horrified him and drove him closer to giving in to the impulse of going up to Dadan’s base by himself. The tree he was punching didn’t break, making him realize the need for focus. He couldn’t afford to doubt and he couldn’t afford distractions. It was enough of a strain on his body to practice two type of haki at once, even low scale as they were. He took a deep breath and focused. This training was necessary to achieve his goals. He punched at the tree again from a distance of ten gomu gomus and was satisfied to see the light sheen of black that covered it, when his punch landed, the tree fell. Luffy smiled in satisfaction. It wasn’t anywhere near enough but it was still a good enough amount of progress that he didn’t feel even a bit disheartened. When he woke up he hadn’t been able to throw a single straight punch with his devil fruit powers. </span>
</p><p>  </p><p>
  <span>Luffy had started to wind up his other arm for another punch when he felt a powerful presence enter the range of his haki. Luffy stopped himself from using armament haki for his next punch. It landed and the tree cracked and tilted a bit, he threw four more quick punches and watched in satisfaction as it fell.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bwahahaha, that’s my grandson for you. Makino said you’ve been coming out here every day. How come you’re training so hard? Finally decided to become the strongest marine?” The familiar voice came from behind him and if it weren’t for his observation haki he would’ve been completely surprised. Gramps’ footsteps were completely quiet, not making a single rustle even walking through the carpet of fallen leaves. Luffy turned around and his heart ached. Gramps had been dead for almost a full ten years in his previous life. He missed the old guy because despite his erratic presence the man had had a profound effect on him and he had always cared, making up for all the times he wasn’t there by overcompensating when he was. Luffy rubbed his chest to dispel the grief in his chest. He saw it coming when Garp swung down to deliver the fist of love, Luffy dodged by lunging at Gramps and wrapping his arms around him threefold. Even if he had been practicing armament haki, he couldn’t use it against Gramps without arousing suspicion, besides he just really wanted to hug his Grandfather. He’d missed the old bastard. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Gramps! How are you here?” Luffy asked, excited. He expected the fist of love to come upon him anyway but instead Garp just ruffled his hair and patted his back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The chief said you’d been involved in a spot of trouble with some bandits in the village, so naturally, I rushed over to check on my favourite grandson.” Luffy laughed happily. His Grandfather had always been a softie, with everything but his responsibilities. Luffy brushed aside those thoughts and the resentments that came with them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m all good Gramps! Those bandits were easy!” Garp laughed boisterously and Luffy joined him. “Hey Luffy, show me that punch of yours again. It looks like you've gotten a lot stronger since last time.” Garp said as his eyes scanned the felled trees in the immediate vicinity. Luffy gladly nodded and walked up to another tree and unleashed three quick punches, toppling it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good job kid! So what rank are you aiming for? Commander? Vice admiral?” Luffy winced. He only managed to hide the instinctive reaction because he was still facing away from his grandfather. He forced himself to turn around and face the older man for the inevitable confrontation.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m gonna be the Pirate King!” He said with a determined expression. Garp’s mouth fell open and his eyes widened. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?” He growled. Luffy stared the man down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m gonna be the Pirate King! The freest and strongest man in all the seas!” Luffy repeated. He saw the fist coming down on him before it did but he decided to take it, a silent apology for rebelling against his Gramps’ wishes for a simple and safe future. After the punch landed, leaving a significant dent in his skull, Garp grabbed his arm and started dragging him up the mountain. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Honestly, where did I go wrong? None of my brats listen to a damn thing I tell them!” Garp mumbled to himself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Gramps let go! I can walk by myself! Where are you taking me? Are you just gonna dump me in the forest again?” Luffy fruitlessly protested and questioned, even though he was almost certain of their destination. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m taking you to where you can learn discipline and see what kind of life those who break the law have to live!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you talking me to prison? But I’m not even the Pirate King yet!” Garp bonked his youngest grandson on the head again. As if he’d ever send his own grandkid to prison. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ll wish I had once you see where you’re going! You didn’t just eat a devil fruit, now you have a stupid mouth as well! It’s my fault for leaving you in that laid back windmill village. Listen to me, you and Ace are going to become the strongest marines!” Garp exclaimed as they arrived before Dadan’s base. Garp finally set Luffy down and the boy tried very hard not to grin but he could hardly stop himself. Luffy was finally going to see his brother again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dadan! Get out here!” Garp yelled as he slammed his fist into the door. Luffy was honestly impressed by how his Gramps restrained himself from just knocking down a wall to make his grand entrance. After a few seconds Dadan walked out of the building, larger than life and smoking like always. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“G-Garp, come on give me a break already! Ace is almost ten already. We won’t be able to handle him much longer! Take him back!” Garp spoke to Dadan as Luffy started wandering around, looking for Ace. He couldn’t risk using haki around his Gramps lest the old coot notice. He hadn’t become a hero through luck, that much was for sure. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whaaa?! Who’s that kid? You want me to take in another one?! And he’s your… your grandson?!” Dadan exclaimed, voice full of disbelief and useless denial.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“All right… I’ll let you choose: go to jail or look after the kid. I’ve overlooked as many of your crimes as there are stars in the sky!” Gramps said without a hint of mercy. The old guy could be scary when he wanted to.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I don’t like the idea of getting arrested but sometimes I think a prison cell might be better! We’re having a tough enough time with Ace, and now you’re adding your grandson?! That kid must be some kind of beast, right!?” Dadan tried to protest. Luffy felt hostile intent from his left and instinctively dodged, bending backwards. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What was that?” Luffy asked, even as he scanned the tree line for any sign of Ace. A few seconds later he was rewarded with the sight of a young Ace, perpetually pissed, just how Luffy remembered him and sitting on a bull carcass, his bloody metal pipe in hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Ace!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Waah, Ace you came back!” Dadan exclaimed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s Ace, he’s three years older than you. You’ll be living together from now on so you better get along!” Luffy nodded, smiling, even as Ace glared at him with as much hostility as he could muster. “It’s settled!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What is?!” Dadan questioned looking ready to attack.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll leave him with you!” Garp said laughing before he started back down the mountain. Dadan looked like she might just go after him and bludgeon his head in but then thought better of it and sighed as her shoulders dropped, resigned. She gestured to Luffy and Ace to get into the hideout before she walked in herself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>...</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I want meat!” Luffy drooled some time later as they all gathered around for lunch, Luffy himself having only received a bowl of rice, which he quickly decimated without putting so much as a dent in his appetite. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This meat is all from a buffalo that Ace caught! He puts a portion on the table and we do too! Times are tough for bandits right now. So starting tomorrow you’ll be working to death, too! Cleaning, laundry, shoe shining, and polishing weapons. Plus, theft, looting, swindling, and killing! And listen! Don’t mention a word of this to Garp!” Dadan ranted while chewing. Luffy was only vaguely listening as he stared at the beautiful, tasty meat. He scanned those around the table, assessing who would be easiest to steal from with his current range. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Once a day you will get one bowl of rice and one cup of water! That’s all well give you! If you want anything else you’ll have to get it yourself! And don’t grow anything without permission!” Dadan laid down the rules while trying to look menacing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Got it!” Luffy said with a happy smile as he stretched his arm and stole a hunk of buffalo off of Dogra’s plate. Dadan slammed her head to the table.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What the hell! This is where you start crying!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey! Where’d my meat go?!” Luffy laughed as he happily chowed down on his meat, even as he scanned the room once more for the next target.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey you brat! Who said you could have any meat?!” Dadan exclaimed as she punched him on the head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shishishi! You did!” Luffy replied with a wide smile as he licked the bone. Dadan’s mouth fell.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And when did I say that, you cheeky brat!?” She roared.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dadan said I would have to thieve and plunder! Dadan said if I wanted anything else I’d have to get it myself! I want meat so I’m stealing it from you! Shishishishi!” Luffy explained his logic and as they all stood there in shock trying to decide how to react, Luffy seized the opening and stole another cut, straight from Dadan’s plate. He heard a snort come from the corner of the room and peaked out of the corner of his eye where Ace was covering his mouth to hide the grin, Luffy was sure he wore.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You cheeky brat where do you get the nerve to steal from us!? We’re giving you shelter you should at least learn some respect!” Dadan howled as she tried to bonk him on the head again. Luffy jumped up and evaded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to be the Pirate King! I don’t need to be respectful! I need to be strong! So I need meat! Shishishishi. Don’t worry Dadan, I’ll bring you something tasty for dinner as an apology!” Luffy said as he stole one final piece before running out of the door that Ace had just left through.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ne, ne, Ace!” He shouted as he ran to catch up with the boy, clutching his spoils and laughing at the shouts emerging from the base. The boy turned around, glaring. Luffy just chewed, finishing off his lunch. Ace turned his back to him and walked into the forest.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m Luffy! Let’s be friends!” Ace glared and slammed his pipe into a tree, knocking it over to fall where Luffy was standing. Luffy clutched his hat, so it wouldn’t fly away and jumped, landing on the fallen tree.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ne, Ace! Where are you going?” Luffy asked as he ran after him, he was panting and cursing the lack of stamina this tiny body had. He caught up to Ace on the old rope bridge before the older boy noticed him, well Ace was younger...but older, gah this time travel business hurt his head. Ace stomped over to him making the bridge sway, and swung his metal pipe right at Luffy. Luffy reacted on instinct, jumping back, but he didn’t get as far as he planned, and the pipe grazed his nose. Luffy rubbed at it, frowning at the blood on his hand. He’d probably been cut by the jagged edge.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ace! That’s not nice!” Luffy scolded, then he smiled. “But I forgive you! So let’s be friends! Ok?” Ace only glared harder and tried to swing the pipe again. Luffy dodged this time more successfully. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fuck off!” The boy yelled before he ran across the bridge into the denser part of the forest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Pfft. I’d forgotten how much of a grouch he was when we first met.” Luffy grumbled to himself before he crossed the bridge and started looking for some meat to bring home to Dadan. Some training wouldn’t go remiss either. Luffy allowed his thoughts to wander as he started to form a basic plan of attack, er… plan of friendship? Ace wouldn’t thaw out easily but Luffy didn’t want to wait three months and subject himself to a beating, so he’d need to figure something else out. For now he would just try to be as friendly as possible without encroaching on the guy’s space. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just before sunset, Ace returned to the base empty handed. He hadn’t found any easy prey and the harder targets couldn’t be handled without Sabo’s help, who today was busy conning some people from Gao’s outskirts. Ace failed terribly whenever it came to interacting with people so he just avoided them and left the smooth talking to Sabo.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ace… did you come back alone?” Mogra asked. Ace didn’t reply. The brat had followed Ace and when he noticed, he’d walked toward a more dangerous part of the forest, close enough to the Lord of the mountain’s den that if you weren’t aware of exactly where to go, you’d surely run into trouble. He’d tried to scare the brat away but somehow he’d dodged his pipe. “Where is he? Wasn’t Luffy with you?” The brat had probably gotten eaten by now. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Good.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Ace thought to himself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dunno.” He stated as he walked in. Ace hated people like that the most. Effortlessly happy, able to make friends with anyone, probably never experienced any hardship in his life. He hated everything about the stupid boy. At least people who were mean and angry didn’t give you false expectations, they didn’t fill you with envy and schadenfreude. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s pretty bad that we lost him on the first day, Boss!” Dogra said to the drinking Dadan. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t care! If he dies, he dies! We’ve already given up on looking after Ace!” Hearing this Ace walked out of the common room to head to his room. “If he really died, we’ll just tell Garp it was an accident. This is what they mean when they say bad weeds grow fastest! He’s the son of a demon you know!?” Ace crossed his arms and tried to squash down the bitter resentment that welled up in him. Sure he was a demon’s son to these people, but at least they didn’t chase him away or try to kill him. “If the government ever found out-“ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What did you just say?” Dadan’s rant was interrupted by a low voice. It wasn’t loud or particularly angry but somehow it sent a shiver down Ace’s spine. He couldn’t help himself and tried to peek through the crack in the door but the speaker wasn’t in his line of vision.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Luffy! You’re back! Where were you?” Dogra questioned.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dadan.” Came that chilling voice again, completely ignoring the others. This was that brat? No way would Ace believe that. He widened the crack a bit more and saw the boy, his straw hat covering his eyes and shadowing his expression. “What did you just say about Ace?” There was silence for a few moments. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Look, kid. There are a lot of things out there that you don’t understand. We don’t hate the brat but he could bring us a lot of trouble and-“ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shut up.” Luffy hadn’t raised his voice but Dadan stopped immediately. “Aren’t you guys bandits? Your whole lives are trouble, so what if you add some more trouble to what’s already trouble? More than that, aren’t you people supposed to be his FAMILY!?” His voice had started to shake and he shouted out the final word. Dadan and the rest all fell quiet. Ace couldn’t quite keep up with what was happening. What was this kid doing? Was he trying to get himself kicked out on his first day? For what? For </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ace?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Ace who had tried to indirectly kill him a few hours before? How had the kid even made it back? Why was he sticking up for him? The more questions zipped through his head, the angrier he got. He didn’t need some snot nosed brat to stick up for him! He was fine with things as they were! He didn’t need anyone meddling in his life. He wanted to rush out and yell at him but his body wouldn’t listen. He didn’t realize it but he really wanted to hear the answer to Luffy’s questions. Dadan finally sighed breaking the quiet spell the room had fallen under in the face of the boy’s righteous fury.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re not wrong, kid. But it’s a bit more complicated than-“ she didn’t get far before Luffy interrupted her again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not complicated at all. So what if his dad was a demon to a lot of people? My dad is the most wanted man in the world! My grandad is the hero of the marines! So fucking what? We’re just Luffy and Ace, nothing more and nothing less.” Wait, what? What just happened?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What!?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hang on! You mean…!?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dadan sat there, shell shocked, sake cup spilling all over her while her underlings went absolutely nuts.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dragon is my father. People hate him. People hated Ace’s dad too. So what? That doesn’t matter! What matters is... are you our family or not?” Luffy asked, making direct eye contact with Dadan. They stared at each other for a bit before Dadan looked away, refilled her sake cup and sighed once more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We don’t really have much choice in the matter do we? That old coot would arrest us and our lives are already nothing but trouble. What’s a little more?” She asked with a small smile. The rest of the bandits just gaped at her. Ace too. What the hell had just happened? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, Dadan.” Luffy said with a small genuine smile before he walked out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey brat! Where do you think you're going?! You don’t get to just walk out of here after making such a fuss! Get back here!” Dadan yelled as Ace finally broke out of his trance to run after the boy, what he was going to do when he faced him, well, he really had no idea, probably beat his ass or yell, his body just seemed to move on its own.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shishishishi! Calm down, you old bat! I’m just bringing in dinner!” And Luffy walked in struggling to drag a giant saber toothed tiger that barely fit through the door. Ace’s jaw and everyone else’s hit the floor with an audible thwack. “I told you I’d bring in something tasty as an apology! Shishishishi!” The boy laughed even as he panted from the effort. What? </span>
  <em>
    <span>What?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Ace felt his brain start to short circuit. No way. No </span>
  <em>
    <span>fucking way</span>
  </em>
  <span>. That was one of the Lords of the forest! He and Sabo had tried taking down one of them and almost got themselves killed! Maybe it was already dead and Luffy just dragged it here? But then its pack would’ve attacked him! How did he even find his way back here? Ace stared completely dumbfounded. The bandits had composed themselves and started to cheer saying they had enough meat for a week. They all cheered and drank and congratulated Luffy, the previous tense conversation somehow completely forgotten.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shishishi. A week? I’m eating too, you know! We’ll be lucky if it’s enough for dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow!” The bandits all laughed and pushed at him even as Mogra and two of the others started to skin and butcher it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bwahaha as if a little pipsqueak like you could eat that much! Even Dadan can’t handle that much meat!” Ace watched as Luffy’s grin widened to a degree that shouldn’t be humanly possible.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shishishi. Wanna bet?” He asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ooooh the kid wants to be a gambler eh?” Dogra taunted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Heheheheh. I’ll take you up on it kid. What are the stakes?” Dadan asked. Luffy turned his head to where Ace stood frozen by the door and smiled that huge impossible grin again. Ace frowned and glared in response. What was this kid trying to pull?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If I can eat more meat than you, you’ll let me and Ace drink with you guys tonight! If I lose, I’ll be an obedient angel for a full week, no complaints!” Ace saw Dadan’s eyes narrow as she assessed the situation, then she broke out into a grin. Ace looked to Luffy and had to take a step back at how utterly devilish the little boy looked, not that Dadan could see, as his face was angled away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Why had the boy even included Ace in his bet? Was this a bribe at friendship? Was that what that whole outburst was about? But Luffy couldn’t have known he was there at the time. Ace was confused and suspicious. He wanted to yell at Luffy to keep him out of his nonsense! </span>
  <em>
    <span>But wait</span>
  </em>
  <span>, a small voice in his head said, the boy hadn’t staked Ace to be obedient as well. If Luffy won, Ace would share the spoils, and if he lost Ace would get off scot free. Even if it was a bribe, even if Ace accepted it, that didn’t necessarily mean he had to be friends with the confusing freak. Ace made up his mind. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You got yourself a bet kid! Heheheheh I’m looking forward to making you my slave! Mogra! How long till the meat’s ready?” Ace would sit back and watch. While the two battle it out, he would try to puzzle out Luffy and his motivations, because so far nothing about him made a lick of sense and Ace didn’t like it. At all.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ten minutes, Boss!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Eh?! That long!? I’m hungryyyy.” Luffy whined. Was this really the same person who had faced off with Dadan and got her to </span>
  <em>
    <span>concede?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Ace wished Sabo was here. People had always been his specialty. Ace made a mental note to ask about it tomorrow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shut it, brat! If you want it faster, why don’t you go and help, huh?” Dadan said as she slammed her fist into his head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Owww!! Dadan your punches hurt almost as much as Gramps’! I caught it so I shouldn’t have to cook it!” Luffy grumbled as he took off his hat and rubbed at the bump on his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then shut your whining!” Dadan scolded as she poured herself another drink. Ace watched as Luffy stuck his tongue out at Dadan before running away from the next punch Dadan threw his way. Luffy ran towards Ace, making the older boy glare.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ace! Why are you sulking here by yourself? Come on, let’s eat!” The boy said, smiling and grabbing his hand to drag him to the table. Ace jerked his hand out of the boy’s grip.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not sulking! And I’m not hungry!” Ace turned around to go back to the room. Screw this. Luffy was too annoying and confusing and invasive and </span>
  <em>
    <span>bright</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Ace’s plans for retreat were squashed when he smelled the tiger meat cooking and his stomach let out a loud growl. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shishishi! Ace is a bad liar! Shishishi. Come eat! You can help me win the bet and then we can all drink and celebrate our first night as a whole family!” Luffy said grabbing Ace again and dragging him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who’s family?! I don’t even know you! Stupid brat!” Ace yelled even as he allowed himself to be dragged towards the food.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s right! So let’s get to know each other and be friends, ne?” Luffy said, looking up at Ace with that stupidly wide grin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No way! I’m just here for the food and sake! I don’t want to be friends with a freak like you!” Ace replied but Luffy just laughed. So they all sat around the table, Luffy and Dadan each with a mountain of meat before them, while the others had normal, </span>
  <em>
    <span>human,</span>
  </em>
  <span> portions. Ace sat there quietly and watched. Luffy and Dadan ate with vigor, making small talk with the rest of the bandits, sending half chewed crumbs all over the place. Ace watched as Dadan started to slow and as Luffy kept going. He watched as Dadan lay on her back with a loud burp, two cuts of meat left on her plate.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can’t take another bite!” She exclaimed. Ace watched as Luffy laughed and finished off his plate, licking it clean. The bandits had their mouths wide open as Luffy patted his ridiculously round and distended stomach. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“H-how is that even possible!?” Dogra shouted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shishishishi! I’m a rubber man!” He replied. He grabbed one side of his cheek and stretched it out before letting go and it just snapped back into place. No wonder he could smile so wide.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re such a freak.” Ace mumbled. He didn’t think anyone would hear him but Luffy apparently did because he started laughing again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But I won Ace! You know what that means right?” Luffy was looking up at him and smiling that devilish grin and Ace couldn’t really help the small smile that crept on his face in return. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Give us our sake!” They both demanded in unison. The bandits all started to grumble and moan but they pulled out two cups for the boys. Their cups were filled and everyone raised them high and cheered before downing their drinks. Luffy and the rest were loud and talkative and Ace mostly stayed out of it, only throwing out the occasional insult or demanding more sake.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And so, the night wore on, with drinking and teasing and complaining. And if that small smile stayed on Ace’s face the whole night? Well, he would deny it forever to everyone but himself.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Let me know what you think!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Ace woke up with a blistering headache to the sound of Luffy’s laughter. His mouth was too dry, the sun was too bright and everything was too loud. Even the sound of his own breathing was bothering him. He hid his eyes in the crook of his elbow trying to block out the world. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey Ace! Wake up! It’s your day for laundry!” Dogra shouted. Ace groaned as he tried to push himself up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m never drinking again.” Ace mumbled. Had this been that little shit’s goal the entire time? To torture him for trying to spit on him or kill him? Ace was really gonna kill the bastard now. With something to motivate him and rage to fuel him, it was much easier to get up. Ace stormed into the common room where Luffy and Mogra were polishing weapons. He rushed to Luffy, grabbed him by the collar and punched him, sending his hat flying. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shishishi. Ace! You’re awake!” The boy was smiling as if he hadn’t just been hit with Ace’s full power. So Ace punched him again. Then he dropped him and headed to the kitchen for water. Dadan was in there, smoking. Ace glared with his deepest frown on his face and poured himself a cup of glorious, glorious water.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ace? Are you hungover? Is that why you’re so angry this morning?” Luffy had apparently followed him. Dadan started laughing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ha! I told him not to drink so much. ‘I can handle it’ he said. ‘This much is nothing’ he said. Eheheheh!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to kill you both.” The other two just kept laughing and Ace poured himself another cup. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sanji said fried food always helps with a hangover! So I went ahead and caught you something for breakfast. I even found some eggs from an eagle!” Luffy said with his large smile, he looked perfectly fine despite Ace’s punches. Oh wait... Ace facepalmed, then immediately regretted it, as it only made his headache worse. The guy was made of rubber. Of course he was fine. He needed to do something to stop the pain as soon as humanly possible. The twerp had something about breakfast.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait, who’s Sanji?” Ace asked, eyeing Luffy. His ‘help’ might just make Ace throw up instead. Ace’s eyes widened when he saw Luffy’s grin immediately drop and his hand lift to tilt his hat so it covered his eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s the best cook in the whole world. He used to be my friend but… he’s not around anymore.” Ace frowned. Luffy hadn’t said that with the usual enthusiasm he showed practically everything. Ace had only known the kid for a day but that manner of being seemed really </span>
  <em>
    <span>off</span>
  </em>
  <span> on Luffy. Another mystery. “You don’t have to worry! Sanji’s never wrong about food!” And there it was again, that boundless enthusiasm, though this time the smile wasn’t as wide as it could be. Ace shook his head. He didn’t need to think about the brat. He’d ask Sabo today. He just needed to focus on the food for now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>… </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luffy had followed Ace into the forest for about twenty minutes before he realized that Ace was taking the longest route possible to get to Grey Terminal. Luffy considered this and the terrible (even by Ace standards) mood Ace had been in the morning, and decided against following him. He wandered for a bit before he found a clearing with a few decent sized boulders. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yosh! Time to up my training!” He exclaimed, more to pump himself up than anything else. He started to warm up as he allowed his observation haki to unfurl, so he would be aware of incoming threats. He put his hat on a safe spot and started punching at one of the smallest boulders with his armament haki. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A wild boar approached him at some point and Luffy licked his lips. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lunch</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Luffy stopped his training and sat down among the crushed rock fragments, waiting silently for his prey to enter the clearing. The boar came charging at him and Luffy aimed a fragment of his haki straight at it. The boar fell on its side immediately, but a bird that had been perched on a close tree fell as well. Luffy clicked his tongue. He still needed to work on his control. He walked over to the unconscious boar, punched it a few times until he felt its energy disappear and started dragging the corpse back to Dadan’s. It was a hell of a task, but it served as stamina training. It had taken him practically the whole afternoon to drag that tiger back. The boar was smaller, only about six times his size. Luffy looked up at the sun, he should be able to make it in time for lunch. He wasn’t that far anyway.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He showed up at Dadan’s just as they were getting the fire going to cook lunch. Luffy walked in with his spoils and was met with pats to his back and laughter and thanks. Luffy went along with it and enjoyed the sheer normalcy that felt too familiar but also so distant. He had a weird feeling building in his gut since he woke up but he shook his head and pushed it to the side, for now. He had missed this rough boisterous bunch. Dadan and her bunch had moved to another island by the time Luffy had reached his goal and he hadn’t found them again before… before he </span>
  <em>
    <span>died</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Luffy rubbed his chest as he tried to suppress that pain and regret. He was here now, </span>
  <em>
    <span>alive. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Ace was alive. Zoro was alive. Sabo never got captured and tortured. He hasn’t lost his memory. Everything was </span>
  <em>
    <span>good. </span>
  </em>
  <span>And Luffy would make damn sure to keep it that way.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He asked Dadan if she needed anything from the village. Luffy wanted to go down and let Makino know that he was settling down nicely. That woman worried too much. Dadan said some gold wouldn’t be remiss and Luffy laughed and shook his head. He wouldn’t steal from the people of Foosha village. Those bastards in Goa though, that was a whole different story. He promised he’d get her something nice and shiny tomorrow and started running down the mountain as soon as he finished his lunch. He didn’t allow himself to slow down at any point until he reached Makino’s bar. He was panting, but his legs and chest didn’t feel like they were on fire so he counted that as a win. He walked in with a loud shout.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Makino! I’m back!” The woman who had been serving some merchant turned to the door immediately.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Luffy!” She cried and as soon as she had excused herself from her client, she walked up to him and pulled him into a hug. “I’m so glad you’re ok! Garp came yesterday and told me you’d be living somewhere else from now on. He looked so angry I thought he’d just dumped you into the forest to grow up with the monkeys!” Luffy laughed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shishishi. It’s not bad at all! I came to tell you that you don’t have to worry! I’m settling in just fine with my new family.” Luffy eyed the merchant at the bar who was staring at them with too much interest and gestured at Makino to come closer. “I’m staying with Dadan at the top of Mt. Colubo.” He whispered into her ear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?! I knew that old man was out of his mind! How could he possibly think that-“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s all good Makino! They’re really nice if you don’t listen to what they say and look at what they do!” Luffy tried to assure her but Makino was still looking doubtful. “You can come visit when you like to make sure for yourself! I’m always there at mealtimes and if you bring some sake with you, they’ll welcome you with open arms!” Makino scoffed and shook her head. She examined Luffy and after making sure that his wide grin was real she shook her head and sighed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine. But if you want to you can always come back, you know?” Luffy’s grin widened.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks! But I like it there. I’ll still miss Makino though! So come visit when you can ok?” Makino chuckled and nodded before returning to her lone client. Luffy sat at the bar and waited for the glass of juice Makino would inevitably pour him when she had the time. Luffy closed his eyes and tried to extend the blanket of his haki. First he evaluated the merchant. Grumpy but not hostile, probably just here for trade. He pushed it further, feeling the familiar buzzing of the multitude of villagers. He couldn’t stretch it as far as he could on the mountain, the buzz and lights of everyone’s energy was distracting and it wasn’t as easy for Luffy to sift through them for anomalies or threats as it used to be. Luffy supposed he was rusty from being dead and back in a young body. He’d been telling himself that for weeks but it didn’t really help much. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He opened his eyes when he heard Makino place a glass in front of him and he smiled at her as she went back to making small talk with her guest. Luffy pushed his circle further, pinpointing the unfamiliar energies of what were probably the merchant’s companions and focusing on them to determine their strength and intent. Nothing out of the ordinary. He pushed further, ignoring the headache that started to sprout from the base of his neck. He’d had a strange feeling in his gut since the morning and he couldn’t figure out why. That’s what had pushed him to come see Makino. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then he felt it and the pull in his gut got stronger all at once. There was a very strong, very angry presence at the very edge of where his senses could extend. It was heading in the direction of the mountain. Luffy chugged down his juice, and waved at Makino, saying he had to head back before he ran out the door to her shouts to be careful.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luffy ran full throttle towards where that energy was. His own energy was buzzing, feeling like it wanted to overflow. He pushed it down and focused more on that person. They were wandering around in a manner that Luffy found vaguely familiar. They were going up the mountain but they would suddenly turn, walk to the side for a few minutes, then start up the mountain again. The energy felt like a wild beast, stalking his prey and Luffy ran closer, ignoring the villagers that were greeting him as he finally reached the base of the mountain. He made straight for that energy and when he was a few meters away he forced himself to stop and catch his breath. He took a few moments to calm down and stifle his presence as much as possible. Despite knowing that there was a person close, he couldn't hear anything. No abnormal rustling, no breaking twigs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luffy’s eyes narrowed as he silently stalked the stalking beast. This person was dangerous. Energy strong and angry and movements perfectly silent. Luffy tried to remember if there were any threats this big last time around, but at that time Luffy had been following Ace around and Dadan and her bunch might have dealt with this person, though Luffy didn’t think they’d have been able to handle someone this strong. He hid behind a tree when he finally saw a hint of movement ahead of him. He peeked out at the figure, which had stopped moving now, hand on his swords. Swords? He scanned the owner from head to toe and he couldn’t help but let his jaw drop open in surprise. Because right there, right in front of Luffy was a young boy with a familiar shock of short green hair, tense shoulders, and three swords. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It can’t be. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luffy was abruptly pulled out of his speculations when the boy spoke. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who’s there?” The voice was higher than it should be but it still sounded familiar in a way that tugged at his heart, causing that pain in his chest to return full force. He ducked back behind the tree, he was supposed to be out of range of sight and sound. The boy hadn’t even turned to look at him. Luffy would stay quiet until he figured out what was going on. It hadn’t been a month since he’d seen his swordsman kill himself before his very eyes. It was still hard for Luffy to believe he was alive. Why on earth would a young Zoro be here anyway? Luffy’s mind was whirring, and his heart was reeling.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come out or I’ll cut you down.” Luffy’s eyes widened at that open hostility. He’d never had that tone directed at him before and it hurt, he couldn’t lie. Maybe it wasn’t Zoro. Maybe Zoro had a dick brother that he’d never mentioned. Maybe Luffy was just imagining what he wanted to see. His instincts warned him something was coming and he jumped high into the sky, barely avoiding the sword strike that cut the tree he had been hiding behind. He twisted in mid air, grip tight on his hat and when he landed, he was facing the swordsman. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Looking at him head on, Luffy couldn’t deny that this was, in fact, Zoro. His face was rounder and softer than Luffy remembered but it was the same face nonetheless. He couldn’t mistake those steel grey eyes. Zoro’s next strike wavered before it fell upon him. Luffy ducked out of the way even as he registered the shock in the other boy’s eyes. His attacks didn’t stop, one strike after the other, but they were slow and far less powerful then he remembered from the last time they had fought, more than a decade ago at whiskey peak. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luffy continued to dodge even as he focused his mental attention on the energy in front of him. Even in this body, his instincts should be enough to keep him out of range while he tried to figure out what was going through his swordsman’s head. His energy was a vibrating mass of rage and conflict and </span>
  <em>
    <span>pain</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He felt like he was screaming inside, so far from the calm and steady waterfall-like flow that his swordsman had possessed. The rush of intense emotion made Luffy falter and he got a small cut on his arm for his mistake. Luffy narrowed his eyes as Zoro’s strikes became more frantic. More powerful but less precise. This wasn’t the Zoro he knew, this person felt and acted like a stranger. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luffy shook his head and focused his whole attention on the fight he had unknowingly stumbled into. If this was his Zoro, he clearly needed someone to knock some sense into him. Luffy jumped high into the air and aimed his feet at the swordsman's chest. He was blocked by the sword in his mouth and he had to quickly twist and flip to avoid the other two swords. Luffy gritted his teeth and aimed a punch with a sheen on haki at his side. Luffy was panting from the strain of the evasive maneuvers he’d been pulling and the emotions threatening to pour out of his chest. His punch was blocked but the sword cracked slightly at the strain. Luffy pulled back his arm and let loose an armored flurry of his Gatling gun, prompted by the memories rushing to the forefront of his mind. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>How dare this boy wearing Zoro’s face attack him? How dare that stupidly familiar sword style be aimed at him? He should’ve been the one attacking first. He should’ve started to kick his ass the second he saw that green hair. How dare that stupid Zoro die before Luffy’s very eyes? </span>
  </em>
  <span>The anger that he hadn’t realized he felt at the act was pouring out of him in waves. He only vaguely registered one of the swords breaking as he continued to attack. He didn’t realize that he had lost his control on his conqueror’s haki even as the swordsman trembled on his feet, fighting against the force of it, even as he continued to swing his swords, blocking and attacking with the same, if not more vigor, as before. </span>
  <em>
    <span>How dare he take his own life!? What a fucking hypocrite! He lectured the others and pulled them together but he couldn’t do the same thing himself?! How dare he make Luffy watch the thing he had died to prevent?! Was the idiot broken in the head!? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luffy continued to push forward even as he dodged. He registered the breaking of the second sword and suddenly he was on top of the other boy, blackened fist cocked for a final blow even as the third sword was aimed at his chest. That was when they both froze. Panting, ready to destroy their opponent completely. But neither one of them moved to make the finishing blow. Luffy stared down at Zoro’s familiar grey eyes. They were shining with unshed tears and his jaw was trembling around the hilt of his final sword. Luffy had no way of knowing just how similar his own expression was. He only registered the burning of his eyes when he saw tears fall on that familiar yet foreign face. Zoro’s eyes widened and his jaw went slack, dropping the sword. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Luffy.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” And that was the final straw. He wrapped Zoro into a fierce and tight hug, crying and screaming his anguish. The swordsman held him just as tightly and Luffy’s neck was wet with his tears as the other boy muffled his sobs into his chest. Luffy had no idea what was happening. Not really. But Zoro said his name. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew </span>
  </em>
  <span>him. And Luffy was so glad to feel his heartbeat and hear his muffled, shaky breath. Zoro was </span>
  <em>
    <span>alive and here. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luffy couldn’t think anything past that as he cried his eyes out and let loose all the pain in his chest with his screams. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn’t know how long they sat like that but as their breathing calmed down, he finally noticed how eerily quiet the forest around them was. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Shit. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He must have lost control. He extricated himself from Zoro’s hold and the other boy just lay down with eyes wide open staring at Luffy. He forced himself to ignore that for now, and stretched his observation haki to its absolute limit. None of the animals in the forest were conscious, a few of the smaller ones were dead. Dadan and the others at the top of the mountain were passed out though their energy wasn't snuffed out completely. Luffy sighed in relief and checked on the village. Some people on the outskirts had been knocked out but they seemed fine too. Luffy had never been so happy about his weakened state and he finally collapsed next to Zoro. That loss of control could’ve </span>
  <em>
    <span>killed</span>
  </em>
  <span> people if he had been in his prime. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two lay side by side staring up at the clear blue sky that peaked through the trees. They didn’t say a word as they both breathed in and out in that familiar synchronicity they had always seemed to have. After a few minutes Luffy broke the silence.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>““How much do you remember?”” The swordsman had spoken at the same time. They were both silent for a few minutes. When Luffy noticed that Zoro didn’t plan on replying he sighed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“All of it. You?” He felt Zoro nod beside him. Luffy couldn’t stop himself as he threw a punch at Zoro’s shoulder. It wasn’t even close to his full strength but his limbs felt like jelly at this point so he wouldn’t have been able to even if he wanted to. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stupid Zoro! How dare you kill yourself!? Is your head really full of moss?” Luffy asked as he sat up and glared at the swordsman. Zoro’s eyes snapped open and he shot up to sit as well.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You saw that?” Zoro asked, voice disbelieving and eyes wide. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course, I did! I’d been waiting for you guys at Laugh Tale for a year! I was so happy when you all came back after everyone’s dreams were finally fulfilled. I partied and laughed with you! Than stupid Zoro went and ruined all the fun!” Zoro didn’t say anything but he looked away, unable to keep looking at his captain’s angry eyes. “Why would you do something so stupid?! The others must’ve gone crazy when they woke up! How would you dying help anyone?!” Zoro stayed quiet. “Answer me, Zoro!” He demanded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zoro finally made eye contact with Luffy again and sighed. Luffy clenched his fists tightly enough that his nails stabbed into his palms, making him bleed. Luffy saw the guilt and sorrow and regret in those eyes and </span>
  <em>
    <span>understood. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He had seen that same look in his own eyes every time he woke up from a nightmare about Ace. He understood the pain. What he didn’t understand was how his first mate hadn’t gone out in a blaze of glory on the battlefield. How he had allowed his light to just fade away until there was nothing left. Had he forgotten he had nakama? Why didn’t he talk to any of them? Luffy might have been dead and useless but the others weren’t. So he just sat there and waited for Zoro’s response. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Zoro saw that unyielding look in his captain’s eye he knew he had to say something. Luffy might have understood his pain, but from the condemnation in his eyes Zoro could tell that his captain didn’t understand why he hadn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>told anyone </span>
  </em>
  <span>about it. Zoro sighed again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I knew you would hate me for it.” Zoro mumbled as he looked down and sheeted Wado, fiddling with the hilt and vaguely mourning the loss of the other two swords. They were practically useless anyway. Zoro distracted himself by picking up the pieces. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luffy wouldn’t accept it. That didn’t mean he was ready to see and hear it. He heard Luffy sigh and walk towards him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Zoro.” Luffy’s voice was cold. Zoro stiffened but didn’t turn around to face him. “Look at me.” Zoro’s body responded before he could even think to protest. Before him stood a young boy, so different and so similar to the only man he’d ever been willing to follow and obey. Zoro tried to avoid his eyes, but after a few moments he made eye contact. It was like Luffy was a magnet and Zoro was just a chunk of cold metal, now that he had vented his anger, helpless to avoid his pull. What he saw in those eyes was a gentleness rarely displayed, reserved for when Chopper or Nami or Usopp were in despair and they needed someone to pull them up into the light. Zoro resented it. He wasn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>weak </span>
  </em>
  <span>like that. He didn’t think less of his crew mates for being that way but he did despise it in himself. Yet, he couldn’t tear himself away from the warmth in those eyes. It flowed over him and burned at him from the inside like a little too much sake.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t hate Zoro.” Luffy said, voice steady and soft. Zoro wanted to argue against that because he </span>
  <em>
    <span>should.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Zoro had copped out. He had gotten overwhelmed and took the coward’s way out. No matter how hard he tried to justify his actions, by chalking it up to honor and punishment for his failures, he knew that wasn’t the truth. He had just been too lost and guilty and </span>
  <em>
    <span>tired. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are nakama?” Luffy asked him, pulling Zoro out of his thoughts and back into that black gentle gaze. Zoro opened his mouth to reply but he suddenly couldn’t put it into words. There was so much to say. They were family and they were friends. They trusted each other and helped each other without question. They walked together through fire and snow to reach their dreams. They teased and joked and fought together. Zoro felt his eyes grow hot again as he stared into his captain’s eyes. He worked his jaw, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He </span>
  <em>
    <span>missed </span>
  </em>
  <span>them. Zoro had always thought he would be perfectly fine on his own, until he was dozing on that merchant ship and didn’t hear the sounds of laughter and scuffling. When he didn’t get kicked awake with an insult at lunch time by the smell of cigarettes and spices. When they came across a storm that Nami would’ve seen coming from miles away. When he didn’t hear familiar pants from Usopp as he worked out and the younger man tried in vain to keep up. And all the other little details he had suddenly felt like he couldn’t live without. Zoro felt the tears fall down his face again for the second time today and gritted his teeth when he saw Luffy softly smile at him and felt his captain’s hat fall onto his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Zoro won’t make the same mistakes again, right? When we finally get our nakama back, Zoro will rely on them more, right?” Zoro nodded even as he pulled the rim of that familiar hat that had never rested on his head before, and hid his crying eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good.” Luffy said with a nod and a wide smile. “Now come on. We still have a ways to climb. I’m sooo hungry and my legs feel like jelly. I need meeeat!” Zoro laughed, long and loud, despite himself. This was his captain. He was right there, just one step ahead of him, just like he should be. Zoro took off the hat and placed it back on its rightful owner's head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bet I can hunt something bigger than you do.” He challenged, more to motivate himself for the rest of the climb than anything else. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re on!” Luffy turned to him and said with a fierce look in his eyes. Before he shook his head as he seemed to think better of it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nevermind that! Let’s hunt together! I wouldn’t want Zoro to get lost when he’s finally back!” He said with a wide self satisfied smirk.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I won’t get lost!” Zoro huffed. He heard his captain’s joyous laugh ringing through the air and that mass of pain that had been wriggling inside him for a year finally settled as he started up the hill, following his captain. </span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Zoro is back! Let me know your thoughts on their reunion!</p><p>Hope you enjoyed it :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Headcanon where Dadan and fam are subtle stoners. It’s my own and it’s very easy to misinterpret or ignore if you chose to.</p><p>Dreams by Fleetwood Mac.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The pair walked up to the base in quiet companionship, dragging a pair of wolf carcasses behind them, in the darkening light of the sunset. They’re a bit early for dinner so Dadan and the rest don’t really pay them any mind as they continue to play cards and pass around a pipe. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey Dadan! We brought dinner. Where’s Ace?” Dadan nodded her head, only half paying attention as she made another bet and moved the cards in her hand around. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How should I know? That troublesome brat’s always doing whatever he wants.” Someone flipped over one of the cards on the table and Dogra swears without letting out any of the smoke in his lungs and Luffy is kind of impressed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ok! We’ll start skinning these then. We’ll need lots of energy to haul back all the loot we’re getting you tomorrow!” Dadan nodded satisfied, before she realized something was wrong.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We?” She asks twisting around to catch a glimpse of Luffy and Zoro just inside the door with a pair of dead wolves behind them. She coughs and sputters. Zoro just nods his head at the group. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why are there two of you?! You cheeky brat! You haven’t even been here two days and you’re already bringing in strays?! This is not a hotel!” She shouts, aiming a punch at Luffy. Luffy took it, then took off his hat and fixed the dent she made in it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry about it Dadan! This is Zoro. He’s my friend! We’re gonna camp out together tonight after dinner!” Dadan scans Zoro from head to toe, particularly eying his only remaining sword, before she sighed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“As long as he brought his own food and he’s not sticking around… I guess it’ll be fine. Make yourselves useful then.” Luffy nodded and dragged Zoro back outside so they could start butchering their dinner. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks Dadan!” He said with a wide smile, she nods in response before focusing back on their game. He had to tug on Zoro’s hand to pull him away from where the swordsman’s gaze was fixated on the barrel of sake in the corner of the common room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Later.” he whispered to placate his first mate, as he snagged two knives off the wall. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>...</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zoro nodded and followed him out quietly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You never said anything about camping.” When they were safely outside Zoro grumbled, though he really didn’t mind, as he started working on the carcass.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shishishi. Don’t complain, Zoro! It’ll be fun! I’ll make sure to distract Dadan and the rest so you can sneak some sake out with us.  Besides, I share a room with Ace, so unless you want to share a futon and go straight to bed after dinner, camping is the best option.” Zoro huffed but didn’t complain anymore. They worked side by side in silence for a while before he spoke up again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So what’re we going to do?” Luffy hummed and thought for a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“First, we need to get you some new swords. Sorry about those.” Luffy said, looking to the side, seemingly sheepish.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“‘S fine.” Zoro said. It was his fault anyway. He shouldn’t have attacked in the first place. What would’ve happened if his captain didn’t have his memories? Zoro really didn’t want to think about that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We should be able to get that done when we go to Goa tomorrow. Besides that, we’re going to need to train. Hard.” Luffy said, his expression uncommonly serious. That made Zoro smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“As if there’s any other way.” He said with a grin. Luffy laughed and Zoro let the sound and the peace it brought with it, to wash over him as he stilled his movements for a few moments. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s good to be back. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His instincts prickled in warning and before he consciously knew what he was reacting to, he was at Luffy’s back with his sword drawn. He deflected the small stone that was aimed straight at Luffy’s head. He glared into the growing shadows of the forest and was about to stretch out his haki when Luffy grabbed the forearm holding his sword from right by his side, causing him to still. He let go after a moment, leaving a bloody handprint behind. Zoro stared down at it and tried to stop the memories of countless battles that rushed to the forefront of his mind, from overwhelming him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s just Ace. Relax.” Zoro startled. He hadn’t even thought about that. Ace was alive. His captain still had his brothers in this world. He sheathed his sword. Shit. Was Zoro even necessary here? He stopped that line of thought to scan the boy that walked out of the forest with a small bulging bag hanging from his shoulder. Ace was so much younger than Zoro’s memories, and so much more pissed. If Luffy hadn’t told him who it was, Zoro might never have made the connection. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey Ace! Did you have a good day?” Ace ignored Luffy completely, causing Zoro to frown. He was unaffected by the glare Ace was shooting at him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who the hell are you?” Ace asked when he was close enough. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Roronoa Zoro.” He replied curtly, glaring right back at the boy. What the fuck was with that attitude? Why was he ignoring Senchou? Why had he even tried to hurt him? Zoro’s mind was filled with questions. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s my nakama! He’s gonna be the world’s greatest swordsman! The first mate of the Pirate King’s crew!” Luffy elaborated, unmistakable pride in his voice, as he grinned. Zoro’s frown softened slightly with the words. Ace scoffed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah right.” He said, before walking past them and into the base. Zoro narrowed his eyes at the boy’s retreating back. Luffy shrugged and turned back to the almost completely butchered carcasses behind them. Zoro followed his lead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He always used to be like this. I only got here yesterday, so it’s what you would expect. I’m actually doing a lot better than the first time around!” He replied to Zoro’s unspoken questions with a smile. But it was sad, tainted by painful memories of the past. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’ll get better.” Zoro said with conviction, trying to erase that expression off his captain’s face. It wasn’t the face he was used to but it was his captain’s nonetheless. The expression felt even more out of place on that rounded face than it had on the man he remembered. If Luffy had been brothers with Ace before, Zoro was sure he could do it again, somehow. That’s just how he was when he had a goal. Zoro just didn’t know how he’d fit in.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You bet! Shishishi, we’ll win him over in no time!” And just like that all Zoro’s worries disappeared. That natural laugh, that </span>
  <em>
    <span>We. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Zoro never used to worry like this. He never used to think too deeply about much of anything really. But then he grew older alongside his crew, had to evolve to face more difficult enemies, then he’d lost his captain. Somehow he’d become almost as much of a worrywart as Usopp, though he was a lot less verbal about it. Luffy had apparently noticed it anyway. Bastard always was too damn insightful. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They finished up their work and went back inside. Dadan was with Ace, sorting through his bag. It was mostly money with a few pieces of gold jewelry mixed in. Ace was looking proud and smug. Zoro couldn’t help but roll his eyes. A meager haul by any measure. Luffy elbowed him, even as he tried to suppress his own smirk. Right. They were kids again. They couldn’t measure this world by the standards they’d grown used to on the Grand Line or their base in the New World. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They passed the meat off to Mogra and sat down with the rest of the bunch around the low tables. Luffy immediately got involved in the conversation and Zoro sat there quietly with his back to the wall. He scanned his surroundings, judging distance from weapons and pinpointing all the exits. Always on the lookout for a threat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zoro made eye contact with Ace across the room. The boy glared in a way that Zoro supposed was meant to be intimidating. Now that Luffy had explained the situation, he found it quite comical. He grinned in the face of Ace’s puppy glare. Zoro had carried a demon inside him and two more at his side as his weapons. This brat couldn’t intimidate him even in his wildest dreams. Seeing Zoro’s response, Ace’s frown deepened and he looked away, murmuring something under his breath. It was a meaningless victory but Zoro enjoyed it all the same. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The food was served and Zoro smiled, watching his captain devour the meat with the same fervor as always. After the meal, Luffy gave him a meaningful look and a nod then walked up to Ace. Luffy spoke to him for a few minutes, Ace occasionally saying a few words back. Then Luffy said something Zoro couldn’t hear and suddenly Ace was punching Luffy. He fought back the instinct to rush over and help when he saw Luffy fight back and all the bandits clamour around them, trying to stop the little spat. Zoro took the chance to snag three bottles of sake from the table and walk out. He waited for Luffy at the edge of the clearing and a few minutes later he appeared, running out of the door with a loud laugh and a huge grin. Luffy shouted out a final good night before he ran over to Zoro. He was panting a bit when he arrived.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Damn, I really need to up my strength. Ace almost had me there.” Luffy said as he started to lead the way to some unknown destination in the forest, with a blanket thrown over his shoulders. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stamina too.” Zoro commented, just to tease. Luffy punched him in response and Zoro let out a low chuckle. “Well he is older than you, I wouldn’t be surprised if you got your ass kicked. That punch was pretty weak.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Say that to your two broken swords!” Luffy shouted, full of anger and indignation. Well yeah, Zoro had to give him that, but his haki was a whole other thing on a whole other level. Luffy had always been far too adept and quick to pick things up if they were even vaguely related to fighting. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And I’m older than he is!” Zoro snorted at that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not with that tiny stick body you’re not.” Luffy started laughing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like you’re one to talk! You could barely even handle all three of your swords!” That ruffled Zoro. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry what was that? Just who was it that saved your ass from the lightning beasts on Raijin island?!” He asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m a rubber man! I’d have been perfectly fine!” Luffy replied, rehashing one of their old arguments. “Besides that was then and this is now!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure you would’ve. ‘Cus rubber can protect you from huge fangs.” Zoro persisted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shut up! I’d have won anyway.” Luffy said petulantly, twisting up the blanket and whipping it at Zoro. Zoro dodged out of the way, mindful of the sake bottles in his arms. They both laughed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. You would have.” Zoro said, once they’d both calmed down a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He hadn’t really been paying attention to his surroundings but when Luffy suddenly stopped he looked around. They were at a break in the trees a few meters short of a cliff’s edge. It was a clear, cloudless night. The half moon was reflected on the dark sea and the skies above them were filled with stars. The sound of waves lapping against the bottom of the cliff, and the salt air were soothing. If Zoro closed his eyes he could almost imagine himself back on the Sunny, his crew mates asleep below deck as he kept watch with his closest friend at his side. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luffy lay the blanket down on the dusty ground and Zoro placed the bottles down on a rock that would be within reach. They sat down with their backs leaning against each other’s as they passed a bottle back and forth. They reminisced and told stories of their crew. Comforting and reminding each other in the quiet dark of the night, as they felt each other’s breaths and heartbeats and laughter through their backs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They were half way through the second bottle, both feeling some of the effect of it by them. Luffy more so than him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Damn these tiny bodies. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Zoro was feeling pretty tired too. He blamed the ache in his muscles on his shitty captain for not holding back during their earlier fight. He was about to voice his complaint when something caught the corner of his eye and put him on high alert. It was a sabertooth tiger, probably as tall as Zoro in this form. He picked up the sword from beside him, ready to attack the moment it pounced. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shishishi. It’s fine Zoro! Tora’s a friend!” Luffy said exuberantly as he jumped and walked right up to the tiger. Zoro stared at his captain with wide eyes. Hearing a voice, which sounded too much like Nami’s, in his head he parroted the exasperated questioning thought.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How did that even happen?!” More importantly…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Why am I even surprised?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh. I killed one of Tora’s uncles.” Luffy said sheepishly, rubbing his neck. “Sorry again, Tora.” The tiger cub huffed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“It was his fault anyway. Everyone said so. We still would’ve eaten him if we hadn’t realized that he could hear us, though.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She said in his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“W-What?! So you’re friends?! I haven’t drank anywhere near enough for that to make sense!” Zoro said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Well, I attacked him again on-“ </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tora started to elaborate for the other boy before Luffy interrupted her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shishishi. Zoro can’t hear you, silly Tora.” He told her with a pat to the head. Tora growled at him but it didn’t have any negative intent. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“How would I know? I’ve only seen one other human and he seemed really mean, even though he was weak. Is talking to us something only strong humans can do?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She replied indignantly and curiously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ace isn’t mean or weak. He’s just angry about a lot of things. And no it’s not. There are lots of strong people who wouldn’t be able to hear you. It’s a very rare gift that very few humans have. I doubt you’ll meet another.” He explained to her even as he buried his fingers in her soft white fur. Tora purred for a moment and Luffy smiled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Damn it, Luffy! I thought I told you not to talk to things I can’t hear without explaining first!” Zoro grumbled from his place on the blanket as he reached for the third bottle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shishishi. Come on Tora, let’s go sit next to Zoro.” Tora eyed Zoro suspiciously. Luffy ignored her and plopped next to Zoro, shoulders touching. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So I killed one of her uncles. Then the whole pack surrounded me as I was dragging him back to Dadan’s.” Luffy began to explain again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stupid Senchou.” Zoro mumbled but he passed Luffy the bottle anyway. Luffy smiled ruefully.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Anyway, I didn’t really want to fight all of them cus that would just be a waste of meat so I let loose a bit of my haki and I explained what happened to them.” He passed the bottle back and patted his lap in indication to Tora who had inched closer as he spoke. She settled her head on his thigh still keeping her eye on Zoro, who paid her no attention as he drank.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t really want to fight him. Killing one of the Lords could fuck up the way the forest works and that would put Ace and Sabo in danger.” Luffy was stroking Tora’s fur as he spoke and her huff tickled his thigh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Lords?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“We can handle those brutes even without Quintus.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She said indignantly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course you can.” He said, mostly because it was true and partially to placate her. Zoro glared and took back the bottle he was passing to Luffy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There are two Lords of the Forest on the mountain. The tigers, Tora’s family, have the East and the bears have the West. They fight a lot over territory.” Luffy explained for Zoro’s benefit. The swordsman nodded and passed him the bottle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, as I was saying, I told them how I had warned him not to attack and that I didn’t want to kill him. He laughed at me and attacked anyway, I tried just beating him back with my armament haki, cus let’s face it, without it I’d have no chance, but he just kept coming at me. So I used my conqueror’s haki on him and well… I’d already injured him quite a bit and I don’t have the best control in this body yet. He didn’t make it.” Luffy had taken a few swigs as he recounted what happened yesterday afternoon. He passed the half empty bottle to Zoro and enjoyed the soothing sound of waves and the purring vibrations coming from Tora.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“When I explained, the rest of the pack let me go. Saying he should’ve known when an enemy was too powerful for him. I kinda liked him though, I didn’t mean to kill him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“We knew that. We like you too, though </span>
  </em>
  <span>I</span>
  <em>
    <span> didn’t at first.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tora stopped purring to lick his cheek and just stared up at him, finally convinced that Zoro wasn’t a threat and therefore willing to take her eyes off him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is that how you met this one?” Zoro asked as he passed back the bottle. Tora growled at being called </span>
  <em>
    <span>this one.</span>
  </em>
  <span> That made Luffy laugh, Zoro always had been bad at making friends. Luffy was feeling fuzzy and hot from the alcohol and the warm closeness of his friends. He probably shouldn’t drink any more but he took the bottle anyway. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If he kept going at this rate he might just become as bad as Zoro. Luffy shook his head and dismissed the thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Impossible. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Zoro’s headstart was nothing to turn your nose up at. The man even had a special sake sense. Unparalleled in all the Grand Line. So he took another swig.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No. I properly met Tora after I’d been let go by the pack. She tried to hunt me by herself. I took her out pretty quickly.” Luffy left out the fact that it had only taken three successive punches, no haki necessary, despite the fact that she was almost twice his size. If he insulted Tora’s pride he might end up with a missing leg. They hadn’t been friends for long after all, and he’d had enough of betrayal from supposed allies to not be so trusting. Tora still growled but that was all she did. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then she started telling me about her dream to become the strongest of the Lords and take over the whole mountain. She had looked up to Quintus because that’s what he had aimed for. So she would definitely defeat me! I told her I liked her and that we should be friends. If she wanted help getting stronger she could train with me and we could get stronger together and that’s how we made friends!” Luffy said. In reality they had talked for almost an hour but Luffy spared Zoro the details. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tora lifted her head and nodded in agreement so Luffy figured that he’d made the right move. Luffy passed the bottle back to Zoro. Zoro simply hummed in acknowledgement to his tale and gave a curt nod to Tora. Luffy took that to be the tentative sign of friendship that it was. Zoro understood his values. He’d know why Luffy hadn’t wanted to kill Quintus, how he hated the lack of control, why he respected Tora and her dreams and willpower. And so Luffy felt comfortable enough to completely relax once more. His fatigue from the eventful and emotional day hit him once more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Zoro, I’m tired. I’m going to sleep. Don’t stay up all night on watch, we have work to do tomorrow.” He half said, half ordered, his first mate. “Ne, Tora, can I use you as a pillow? You’re so soft!” Tora huffed but laid herself out on their blanket.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Fine. But you’re going to train a whole day with me in exchange!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shishi sounds like a deal! Any day but tomorrow! Good night Zoro. Good night, Tora.” Luffy said before placing his head on Tora’s stomach and falling immediately into sleep. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zoro wasn’t so quick to lower his guard. After Luffy fell asleep he continued to take measured sips of the sake, hoping to make it last longer. He’d have to get more next time. He once more took stock of the tiger laying beside him. Even Luffy asleep on its belly did nothing to mitigate the predatory gleam in her eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And yet, the story Luffy had told had rung so true to his captain’s self and values and the things he respected that Zoro could not simply ignore it. Though Zoro knew that he would never be able to hear the Voice of All Things like his captain he found himself talking to the tiger anyway. Blame the sake and his too small body. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So he got you too, huh?” He didn’t hear anything from the tiger but he thought he saw a small nod. “What idiot would name a tiger Tora? He’s a complete idiot, he is.”  A small growl in response, though he had no idea what it meant. Zoro ignored it and carried on with his own train of thought.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Senchou is a great man. Too good for the world he was born into, but then again, I guess that’s what makes him so great.” He received no response, only intelligent, boring eyes, staring into his own. He drank some more sake.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We weren’t born in this time, you know?” Zoro hadn’t allowed himself to speak of it until he’d met Luffy, but somehow it felt good to admit to someone outside their sphere. “I mean we were. But we’ve lived these lives before.” Zoro wouldn’t have dared speak of this with any other living human. But this was a tiger, what were the dangers, really? Wild cats attacking? He could easily take it, head on. But still it was so relaxing and freeing to speak of, that he couldn’t stop with just that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“In those lives, we hadn’t met until ten years in the future.” The tiger narrowed her eyes. It seemed to Zoro that she was sceptical. Zoro just kept drinking and talking. “It’s true. We sailed together for more than ten years. Luffy became the Pirate King and I became the world’s greatest swordsman, but we failed in all the ways that were most important. We couldn’t protect the ones we loved.” Zoro swallowed down the burning liqueur once more. Swishing the bottle and lamenting at how little was left. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Luffy was killed.” The tiger sharply raised its head and growled at that, Luffy stirred a bit, mumbling about meat. Zoro glared at the tiger until she settled again and Luffy’s soft snores could be heard. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. He was killed trying to protect me from the strongest enemies in the whole world. I hated him for it.” Those intelligent eyes just stared at him, he had no choice but to continue. “I died too. Later.” He said. Sparing all the gory details and heart wrenching emotions, that’s basically what it was. “Then, somehow, we both ended up here. Dead, but years and years in the past.” Zoro stared up at the stars as he finished the bottle, wondering what had brought them back and why. Every possibility he thought of was more impossible than the last, and none of them made any sense. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This time, we won’t make any of the same mistakes.” He said. Speaking his promise to the stars and the moon and the silently listening tiger and his fully unconscious captain. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you even try to get in the way of that, I’ll cut you down. So fast you won’t even know what hit you, you shitty kitty.” Zoro said, full of conviction. They glared at each other for a few moments before the tiger looked away and huffed. Zoro took it as a sign of acquiescence and he laid down to sleep. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That being said. Any friend of Luffy’s is a friend of mine.” He mumbled as he fell asleep, laying on the blanket facing his captain’s smiling, dreaming visage. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>...</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zoro couldn’t have known the deep satisfaction felt by the tiger in question. As Tora stared at the two humans before her, one asleep on her stomach, the other dozing with a hand on his sword. She cemented her beliefs. These were humans, far stronger than any others that would ever stop on this land, humans yes. But nonetheless, they somehow managed to listen and communicate with her and her people. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luffy had acknowledged her dream, even as her whole pack called her an abomination and a weakling for her small size and white fur. Zoro had confided in her, and if he was to be believed, despite him being from the future and facing terribly strong enemies, he had suspected her and in turn accepted her. Simply because Luffy had. The thought process in itself confused her, but the man’s unwavering eyes and conviction, even in his inebriation, left no room for doubt. That in itself confused her. But Tora fell asleep, somehow, assured of choices she hadn’t yet made and believing in people she hadn’t yet trusted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*In an earlier time, in a different place.*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So what do you think?” Ace asked, after he had finished recounting his ridiculously unbelievable day. Sabo hummed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sounds interesting.” He replied. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Seriously?! That’s all you have to say? I came to you for advice!” Ace said, almost bursting aflame with the force of his fury. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve never come across anyone even close to something like that. So I really couldn’t say.” Sabo replied in all honesty. But he was thrumming in excitement even as his friend grumbled and raged and complained. Oh, how puzzling! A person who could get Ace to like them but hate them all at once. A person who was so happy he seemed to have experienced no hardship. A laugh so carefree and bright, it dragged even the most the most angry and despondent into its light. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sabo couldn’t imagine such a thing. Someone bright and cheerful, yet strong and able enough to overpower the strongest around him. One with fighting instincts, yet not showing a trace of a single battle in his smile. Sabo itched to meet him. The description itself likened too much to the one in his dreams for him to not be curious. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What sort of person was this Luffy really?</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>There it is. I’ve written some of these chapters with some songs on repeat. It is only now that I have decided to share those tracks with you. Not all chapters will have them. They might not have to do with the chapter itself directly but that’s what I was listening to as I wrote them. Lol to the point that this whole fic was almost named me and mine because of what I was listening to while I wrote the first chapter. It still represents the whole vibe of the fic though. </p><p>I will burn your kingdom down, if you try to conquer me and mine.</p><p>Anyway, I hope you enjoyed :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Tora’s growls and protests woke him at the crack of dawn. Luffy shot awake when he registered the unusual tone and depth of a voice that ran deeper than what ears could possibly hear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Finally awake, Senchou?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tora said, when he regained enough of his senses to stand and take a fighting stance. Zoro was still snoring to the side, which made him realize that the voice wasn’t an actual threat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Since when am I your Senchou?” Luffy asked, his eyes still fuzzy and his memories a muddy pond. Yet even in that confusion the voice was familiar. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“That’s what the other boy called you. Is it not your title?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>The question confused Luffy. Yes it was his title. But anyone who had to ask that question had no right to call him so. Luffy rubbed his eyes, slowly gaining his bearings. Before him sat a white tiger, seemingly the source of the voice he heard.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tora.” He said, as the image finally clicked with the memory.  They stared at each other for a few moments.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Senchou?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Her voice questioned.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not your Senchou!” Luffy snapped before he fully considered what he was saying. The tiger took a step back. “Sorry Tora.” He apologized for the harshness in his tone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Is Senchou not your title as Pirate King?”  </span>
  </em>
  <span>The question confused Luffy. He pondered why Tora would be asking such a thing, until his eyes fell on the sleeping Zoro, empty sake bottle still in hand. Luffy sighed as he more or less put together what might have happened after he slept. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It isn’t. I am only Senchou to my nakama. Just call me Luffy.” Luffy replied honestly. He rubbed his hands over his face even as he kicked Zoro in his sleep. The other boy merely grunted before turning to his other side, still asleep. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Nakama?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>The tiger questioned, confused by the new concept. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They’re family. Family I found on the sea.” The tiger narrowed her eyes. Luffy could tell she didn’t understand, but he didn’t have the energy to explain. He needed breakfast. He kicked Zoro again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Zoro! Go wake up Sanji. He’s slacking! I need meat!” Zoro stirred but didn’t approach consciousness. “You can fight him as much as you want as soon as he’s done with breakfast!” Zoro was suddenly standing at full attention, hand on his sword. His eyes scanned the surroundings before they landed on Luffy in confusion and vague understanding. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shit! I forgot. He’s not with us yet. Ne Zoro what do we do? I need breakfast!” Luffy whined, wrapping himself around Zoro to stave off the pain in his chest that ran deeper than the pain in his stomach, though he didn’t speak of it. Zoro rubbed at his right eye, left still closed, even as he pushed Luffy’s head halfheartedly away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Calm down. I’ll get your breakfast.” Luffy sighed in relief. No matter when or where he was, his first mate would always be his usual dependable self. As soon as Zoro said so Luffy unwound his limbs, collapsed and stared at the rising sun, slowly growing over the horizon, visible from their viewpoint on the cliff. Zoro stalked off into the forest and the tiger pushed itself into Luffy’s field of vision. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“So Senchou isn’t your title?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tora asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No.” Luffy replied resolutely.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Then why does the other boy call you that?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She asked. Eyes full of curiosity and innocence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cus he’s nakama.” Luffy replied. Tora huffed and disappeared from his field of vision. Luffy went back to staring at the sun. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Humans are so confusing.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luffy went up onto his elbows to stare at the tiger in response, his head tilted in question. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“If nakama means family, how can that boy be nakama? He said he met you for the first time ten years in the future! You share no blood!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luffy tried to suppress his surprise. Zoro had opened up to someone. Granted it was a tiger no one but Luffy would have a hope of understanding in this blue, but still. The thought itself froze Luffy for a few moments.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I knew it. Humans are all liars.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tora said with a growl as she started to walk away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait! Zoro’s not a liar!” Luffy replied instinctively. Tora turned back and stared at him. “Zoro and my other nakama are the family that I chose. That chose me. Family doesn’t have to mean the blood you’re born into.” Tora glared at him and started to walk off again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tora? Where are you off to? I brought breakfast for you too.” Zoro said, returning with a small boar and a few rabbits. He tossed two of the rabbits in Tora’s direction. “If you don’t want them, I’m sure Senchou would love the extra meat.” Luffy completely forgot about Tora and their discussion as he spotted the thick juicy boar Zoro was carrying on his shoulder. Luffy drooled as he started working on a fire while Zoro skewered the animal even as Tora stood there dumbfounded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you prefer your meat cooked or raw?” Zoro asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cooked!” Luffy replied, fully awake and enthusiastic now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not talking to you! I’m asking Tora!” Zoro exclaimed with a punch aimed at the head, which Luffy dodged. Luffy glanced at Tora, still frozen stilent. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She prefers it raw!” Luffy replied. Zoro tossed another of the rabbits in her direction and proceeded to roast the rest of the meat. Tora cautiously started nibbling on the meat. Family that you’re not born into? Impossible! They couldn’t be trusted! Yet the more she observed the two humans the more plausible it felt.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So Senchou, what’s the plan for today?” Zoro asked as he twirled the meat over the fire. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Plan?” Luffy asked as he drooled at the meat in sight. Zoro once again tried to hit the other boy. That brought Luffy to his senses as he only barely dodged. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right! The plan!” Luffy exclaimed. “We’re looting Goa. Dadan loves treasure and we need to get you some new swords too!” Zoro nodded, accepting the plan without protest or doubt. “We’ll go pick up the furs from Dadan’s and trade them for bellies for your swords. Well steal the difference.” Luffy elaborated as he started digging into the boar, Zoro following suit less enthusiastically. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You sound like Nami.” Zoro said, eyeing his captain. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shishishi. I bet I started stealing before she did!” Zoro narrowed his eyes at seeing a side of Luffy he was unfamiliar with. “I lived with bandits! Of course I steal!” Luffy laughed again and Zoro simply sighed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tora watched the two chatter between themselves as she finished off her last rabbit. She looked down at her meal. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I brought breakfast for you too.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Nakama, huh? </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought as she grinned lopsidedly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Worth exploring, I guess.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zoro stood up dusting himself off and aiming a punch at Luffy, who didn’t bother to dodge.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I hate it when you do that.” Zoro grumbled. Luffy had just propelled them both over the wall, which he could barely reach in the first place and they’d landed in a dumpster in an alley. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry Zoro! It's training!” Luffy said, looking not at all sorry as he dusted off his hat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Training my ass.” Zoro mumbled. Luffy grinned.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Besides! It’s faster than walking over to the door.” Luffy said. Luffy walked to the mouth of the alley and looked around. “Come on. We’re not that far from the merchant’s.” Zoro followed, half a step behind, carrying a huge backpack full of pelts. Zoro's eyes darted from side to side as they walked down the streets. Luffy was whistling happily, hands behind his head. The posture was familiar and carefree and it helped Zoro be a bit more at ease surrounded by the unknown. He’d been to Foosha once with Luffy but he hadn’t even known this place existed, let alone the huge trash heap they’d had to trek through to get here. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luffy had vaguely explained the situation to him as Zoro glared at the shanties and scavengers. That had only irritated Zoro more. Goa kingdom was actually known as the nicest port in this blue, but the tourists and traders had no idea of what was just outside the walls. Not for the first time and probably not for the last he found himself gritting his teeth because of those shitty nobles. While Zoro had been fuming silently Luffy had stopped and asked him for the pack. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stay here. I don’t have enough range to cover the whole city yet and if you get lost it’ll be too much of a waste of time just to find you again!” Zoro growled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t get lost!” He glared at the grinning captain. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just stay here. We’ll get your swords straight after this.” Luffy ordered as he walked into the shop. Zoro leaned against the building. He was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>sulking. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He closed his eyes, barely used to having two again, and stretched his observation haki. He felt Luffy inside, easily the strongest presence within his range. He frowned. Luffy was right. Coming back to these bodies had dulled their capabilities and control. No wonder Luffy had insisted on the necessity of training. Luffy had never been one to train all the time, unlike himself. Yet this morning after breakfast he had watched shocked as Luffy dropped and started doing push-ups. It had taken him a full minute to compute before he joined his captain. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He tried to push the boundaries of his range even as he focused on the familiar overpowered thrum of energy. His ears picked up the sound of Luffy’s laughter through the bustle in the street. A few moments later, Luffy walked out with a big grin, an empty pack and a bag of bellies in hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I got a hundred thousand berries for five pelts. Think it’ll be enough for two swords?” Zoro raised a brow and nodded. Luffy started leading them down the streets again. A few minutes later Luffy stopped in front of another shop.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Go on in. I’ll wait for you out here.” Zoro nodded and Luffy tossed him the bag of coin. He still had some of the money Koushirou had given him so if he didn’t have enough for two decent blades he could make up the difference with that. Zoro ambled about the shop even as the man at the counter eyed him suspiciously. He wandered until something caught his attention.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How much are these?” He asked, pointing at the barrel in front of him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Forty thousand.” Zoro grinned. What a fool. He had recognized one of Tashigi’s swords in the barrel. What was its name again? Zoro shrugged, it didn’t matter. But it was definitely one of the graded swords. He picked it up and unsheathed it. The shopkeeper started yelling something at him but he ignored him as he examined the sword. It was definitely better than the katanas he had before, the sheath was a simple blue and the blade had a spiked hamon with a cross guard. The hilt was smaller than Wado’s and it was lighter, fitting much more comfortably in his small hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll take it.” He said with a grin to the sputtering shopkeeper. Lifting up his coin bag to show him. “I still need one more.” He said as he continued to amble. Nothing else caught his attention so he walked over to the barrel holding the most basic katanas and picked out one of the better maintained ones. He walked over to the counter and paid, before strapping his katanas to his side and walking out. His satisfied grin widened as he stepped out of the door.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know, I could’ve sworn it was sunny when I walked into that shop.” He said nonchalantly, looking sideways at his captain. Ominous grey clouds now loomed overhead, and the air felt heavy and tingly. Just like before a huge thunderstorm. Luffy laughed out loud.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My control is still shaky. I only wanted to make it a bit windy!” Zoro shook his head. He himself had conqueror’s haki but he might as well have nothing in comparison to his captain. Luffy was on a level where he could alter the weather and reality at will. When they had found out about it no one was quite as surprised as they should’ve been. It had made a lot of sense, looking back at their last adventures. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Zoro! Watch and learn.” Luffy said to him with a smirk. Zoro slowed his pace and kept his eyes peeled as Luffy bumped into someone going the opposite way as them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry Miss!” Luffy said with a wide smile before he stepped back and let the scowling woman pass. She was probably hurrying to shelter. Luffy was waiting for him at the side of the road. He brought his arms out of his pockets, each hand loaded with golden bracelets. Zoro raised his eyebrows as Luffy stuffed the treasure into his empty pack. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I never would have pegged you for a pickpocket.” Zoro said, impressed by his captain’s rarely seen stealth. Luffy shrugged.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t use to be. When all three of us would do this it was a lot faster to just beat someone up, take everything and run. When I was on my own it got harder, so I’d do this sometimes but I wasn’t very good at it.” Zoro nodded. That sounded like the captain he knew. “But I’ve seen Nami do it so many times by now! So I’m a lot better than I used to be! Shishishi.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you didn’t even know if that would work?” Luffy just laughed in response. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Zoro is too honest. This is just a way to get small loot that you might be able to hide from Dadan.” Luffy said. He bumped into someone else and came away with a coin purse, which he tossed to Zoro. Zoro frowned and tossed the coin purse back. He wasn’t too honest. Zoro could do it too. He was far stealthier than the captain. He walked up to a stall where a fat man was negotiating with a hawker, anxiously looking up every so often. Zoro pretended to be inspecting the knick knacks on sale and the next time the man looked up he liberated his wallet, swiftly stuffing it into the pocket of his gi. He walked back to Luffy with a huge grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shishishi as expected of the world’s greatest swordsman!” Luffy said with pride as he kept leading them through the streets. The wind was picking up and people were rushing to their homes. Luffy clicked his tongue. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This isn’t quite what I wanted but it’ll work. Haki will make this next bit a lot easier.” They had arrived at a nicer part of the city. Large houses and ornate shops stood tall on either side of the road. Broken only by intersecting streets and alleys. Luffy ducked into one of the alleys and Zoro followed completely confused. Luffy smiled at him before he grabbed a small stone from the ground, wound up his arm and shot it up to the third floor, using the rock to avoid cutting himself. He dropped the stone back to the ground and reached into the window. When his arm came back down he was holding a golden chalice with jewels encrusted around the rim. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is why you wanted wind?” Zoro asked and Luffy nodded as he happily stuffed it into the pack. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We used to have to wait for storms to pull in the bigger treasures. Haki makes it easy to pick out houses without people in them so we’ll definitely manage to get a decent haul. If we do well enough Dadan might even let you sleep inside today!” Luffy informed him. He stretched his haki out and kept his eyes open for the glint of gold or jewels. He spotted an empty house, looked around then looked through the window. He used the butt of his basic katana to bust the window and stretched his arm through, grabbing some kind of silver box. He opened it and was happy to see it full of bellies. He passed it to Luffy and so they continued down four or five streets. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The wind had reached gale force by now and it had just started to rain when Luffy hefted his bag and tilted his head at Zoro. He nodded and followed Luffy through the streets as they became less grandiose. There were still a few stragglers here, closing shop windows and stowing away merchandise. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now comes the fun part!” Luffy told him, a mischievous grin on his face that Zoro both related to and dreaded. <em>What now?</em> Luffy secured the bag that was leaden with their treasure more tightly and started to run. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luffy kicked a store owner in the gut and stole one of the hams hanging under the awning and he was running again before the man had righted himself. The whole thing happened in less than half a minute. Zoro got the gist of it and started running after Luffy. He used the blunt end of his sword to fell targets, taking jewelry and coin purses as he blitzed through the streets making sure to keep an eye on Luffy. Shouts and curses followed them, pulling the attention of those ahead of them, making it impossible to catch them off guard. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luffy just kept going, his laughter ringing through the air, louder than the rain and the curses. Zoro was surprised to notice that he himself was smiling. The adrenaline was pumping through his veins and he felt his senses heighten. The wall was looming closer and he prepared himself to be vaulted up again. His eyes sought at Luffy, hoping to be as prepared as possible for the unpleasantness. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With the first flash of lightning he caught sight of a man who had avoided Luffy’s rampage. Zoro darted to him, slashing him a few times and knocking the wind out of him. He grabbed the barrel the man was rolling, hoisted it onto his back and started running again, this time laughing as loud same as Luffy had been. Luffy turned to look at him when the thunder rumbled. He saw the barrel on his back and gave Zoro a thumbs up before quickly diving into another street. Zoro rushed to follow, the ache in his muscles insignificant compared to the satisfaction of the best loot he’d found the whole morning. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They arrived at the doors and dashed through, breezing past the guards that were fighting the wind to shut it. They made it through just in time before running through the trash heap for a while before finding a large piece of scrap metal to duck under for shelter. They collapsed as soon as they reached it panting and smiling wide. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fun, ne?” Luffy asked as he bit into his ham. Zoro nodded at his captain’s young face. Zoro couldn’t believe that this was his life now but the smile on his face and the quiet in his mind proved that he didn’t mind it in the slightest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They sat under their small shelter for a half hour or so until the worst of the storm passed, sharing the ham and other food Luffy had somehow managed to nick. Then they leisurely started the trek back, the rain still pattering softly on them. After ten minutes walking in the forest they were bathed in sunlight again. They didn’t speak as they made their way to Dadan’s. Zoro carried his barrel and Luffy carried the pack of treasure that Zoro had emptied his pockets into. Zoro’s muscles slightly ached but he appreciated the burn even as he pushed himself past it. He would need to become much much stronger than this if he wanted to achieve what he wanted with this second chance at life. A thought suddenly occurred to him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Senchou,” Luffy twisted his neck to look back at him. “How would you feel about not having this world’s greatest swordsman on your crew?” Luffy frowned as he tilted his head in question, eyebrows furrowed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well I’ve already done it once. I have another dream this time around.” Zoro struggled to articulate the whirlwind in his chest, as he looked down at his moving, too small, feet. “I want to become strong enough to make sure we all make it to the end. If I get the title on the way... that’s fine too but I don’t really care to chase it.” He looked at Luffy, relieved to see him smiling. Luffy turned back to face forward.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Zoro’s already the world’s greatest swordsman even if this world doesn’t know it!” His frown and the pressure on his shoulders lightened at that. “So long as Zoro doesn’t leave the crew it’s all good! Besides, it’s really nice to know Zoro and I share our dream this time.” Zoro’s eyebrows rose at that. Luffy's dream wasn’t to be Pirate King? That shocked Zoro and that shock grew as he realized what Luffy was really saying. He’d never wanted Zoro to leave the crew. He agreed with Zoro. He didn’t care what titles they had when they reached the end, as long as they all made it there together, safely, with smiles on their faces and less pain and sorrow than the last time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m still going to make the world admit I’m the Pirate King though. What else am I supposed to do? Let a hothead like Spikey take it?” Zoro’s lip quirked and his shoulders completely loosened, even as his arms struggled. That was the captain he knew. Zoro felt mildly bad for Kidd for missing his chance once more before brushing it away. No one was more deserving of the title than Luffy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not the dream this time though. I’m already the Pirate King and Zoro’s already the world’s greatest swordsman. The rest of this world just doesn’t know it yet.” Zoro nodded in agreement. Reassured and happy as he followed his captain through the forest. Luffy was right. They both knew what they needed to do and they knew what they were. They had a leg up in knowledge and they’d sure as hell use it. They could and would make this world better than their last. That was the only option. Zoro grinned, his resolve now as solid as the blade of his swords. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Zoro. Your haki is running wild.” Zoro started at Luffy’s words and realized he was right. He reigned it in and thanked whatever god there was that he didn’t have his cursed eye this time around. “Dinner! Nice job Zoro!” Luffy exclaimed, putting down his pack. He took one of the swords from Zoro’s belt and cut down a few vines as Zoro put down the barrel and rested against it. They were back at the cliff where they spent the last night and he stared at the horizon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luffy scurried to tie together the seagulls and rabbits that had fallen unconscious after he’d wrung their necks so they would be easier to carry. Something pricked his instincts just before the head of a large sea king emerged over the edge of the cliff. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Luffy!” </span>
</p><p>
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</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Share your thoughts on the comments!</p><p>I hope you enjoyed it :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Luffy looked up at Zoro’s exclamation. A few feet in front of him was the raised head of a familiar Sea King. Luffy tilted his head as the monster growled, flashing its teeth. Luffy heard a click as Zoro started to unsheathe his sword and Luffy opened his palm, a signal for Zoro to stand down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was way smaller than he remembered, but that was probably because this time he knew what a fully grown Sea King looked like. The last time he had met this particular one it had only taken him one punch to knock it out. The monster opened its maw while Luffy briefly decided how to deal with it. He could have just used conqueror’s haki or the Voice but he had been wanting a big opponent to test his base physical strength against. He wouldn’t find a better one on this whole island. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Moments before he got swallowed, Luffy unleashed a Gomu Gomu Gatling. He nodded in satisfaction when the creature disappeared below the cliff edge once more. Luffy turned his head to Zoro with a smile and his first mate just shook his head. Luffy picked up the animal carcasses once more, looping them around his neck. He was about to heave up their treasure load when out of the corner his eye something moved. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Still too weak.” Luffy complained to himself. He was suddenly a lot more happy about how heavy that treasure pack was. The Sea King opened its mouth again and Luffy was about to punch it again when a thought occurred to him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ne, why are you trying to eat me? I’m on land! I haven’t even done anything to you yet!” He shouted at it and jumped out of the way. Zoro unsheathed Wado but didn’t move from where he stood. The monster tried to bite at Luffy again but he was out of its range. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Foolish human! Stay away from the King!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>A hissy voice, practically oozing venom filled his head. Luffy furrowed his brow. Zoro glanced at his Senchou.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can I kill it yet?” Zoro asked flatly. “We could probably feed everyone for a couple of weeks with this.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“My King!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>The voice was suddenly full of anguish.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait, wait!” He said to both of them. “Stupid eel face I think you’ve got something wrong. Zoro’s not your King and I sure as hell don’t want to be.” The eel growled at him and snapped its teeth once more, though with less vigor than before. Being out of the sea must’ve been affecting it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Foolish human! We have been waiting for our Kings to meet for centuries! I will destroy any in my way!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luffy felt a headache coming on.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just go back to the sea before you dry up!” He said releasing some of his haki. The Sea King made a confused sound, eyes darting between Luffy and Zoro.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Senchou are you done talking with it yet?” Zoro asked, all three of his swords at the ready. The Sea King let out a low whine before disappearing below the cliff edge once more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hmph. It didn’t seem to care what I said. This little Sea King seemed to think that Zoro was its King.” Zoro laughed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re joking right?” Zoro asked. Luffy simply shook his head. “What a stupid eel face.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shishishi yeah it’s pretty young and stupid.” Luffy confirmed with a sardonic grin. “Let’s head back to Dadan’s before it decides to come back. I don’t feel like arguing with idiots.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zoro nodded and picked up his barrel of sake. He didn’t bother to ask for the minute details of the conversation between the Sea King and his captain. Most creatures tended to underrate his Senchou, which was why Zoro was always on high alert against them. However Zoro had learned from his experiences. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>No matter who faced his captain, they were merely dust at his Senchou's feet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I know this is way too short. Please forgive me, the update schedule will be shifted to once every two weeks at least. I am currently working on two other unpublished stories so my focus is a bit split when it comes to literary inspiration. That being said I have no plans of abandoning this fic any time soon so please just stick by me. </p><p>I hope you’re enjoying this fic!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>No Zoro’s name didn’t suddenly change. It’s just Ace. He’ll learn eventually.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Luffy and Zoro arrived at Dadan’s just as the sun was starting to set. They opened the door, hauling their loot with them.</p><p> </p><p>“Brat! You’re back! What did you bring with you?” Dadan asks eyeing the bulging backpack and barrel the two had brought inside. “And what is that other brat still doing here?” Luffy just grinned at Dadan, already forming a plot to convince Dadan to accept Zoro. Luffy set down the pack on his shoulder and took off the game hanging from Zoro’s neck. </p><p> </p><p>“We brought back lots of treasure from Goa and something for dinner too!” Dadan ignored the meat and immediately opened the pack, eyes immediately going wide at the twinkle of gold and jewels held inside. She started to take out the items in the bag one by one laughing boisterously all the while. Mogra and Dogra started examining the items to determine the value and after the first few items were confirmed authentic they grinned widely and nodded at their leader, even as they eyed the still mostly full backpack. </p><p> </p><p>“Eheheh you did good brat! We'll feed you well tonight!” Dadan said happily as she pulled Luffy into her embrace. Luffy quickly pushed himself out of it. </p><p> </p><p>“Dadan it wasn’t just me! Zoro got most of the loot! It’s him you should be thanking!” Dadan eyed the green haired boy still lingering near the door, his arms crossed standing before a large barrel.</p><p> </p><p>“Zoro is it?” Zoro nodded. “What’s that you’re hiding behind you?” Dadan asked innocently but her eyes shone with greed. </p><p> </p><p>“It’s mine. Don’t even think of touching it, Old Hag.” Luffy wanted to bash Zoro over the head for his comment. Really, would it hurt the man to be a bit friendly once in a while? Luffy watched as Dadan’s face started to grow red and hurried to mitigate the situation.</p><p> </p><p>“You should have seen him Dadan! Zoro managed to steal so much gold! If I’d gone alone, I’d only have been able to get a few berries and a gold piece or two!” Luffy boasted. Zoro furrowed his brow at his captain’s blatant lie. When had Luffy gotten so good at tricking people? Luffy ignored that inquisitive gaze and focused on Dadan and continued to implement his plan when he saw how Dadan was eyeing the boy in question. </p><p> </p><p>“Is that so?” She asked, expression still sour at Zoro’s rude behavior but eyes glinting. </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah! I’m sure if you let him stay, he’ll be happy to keep getting more for you, ne Zoro?” Luffy directed his gaze at his first mate, signaling with his eyes for the man to go along with him. Zoro nodded after a moment of hesitation.</p><p> </p><p>“Sure. Just don’t touch my sake.” Zoro said impudently. Luffy wanted to facepalm at his first mate’s stupidity. He seemed to have forgotten that his body was that of a child’s. Dadan’s eyes were shifting from one boy to the other, contemplating.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not a hotel, I’m not going to take in any old brat! Especially such an insolent one! Do you think I’d have taken you in if it weren’t for your grandfather?!” She said eventually to Luffy. </p><p> </p><p>“But Dadan! What if we promise to bring you a haul like this one every month? Would you let him stay then? Please! We won’t even ask for any of it.” Luffy begged, acting out his apparent age even as he tempted the woman with his bribe. Dadan hummed and glanced at her subordinates who were cheering and dividing the gold amongst themselves, leaving a sizable pile of golden accessories, chalices, and berries next to her as tribute. After a few minutes of thought, gold won over pride, and she nodded.</p><p> </p><p>“Fine! But he’ll have to provide for himself just like the rest of you! And if you break your promise, I’ll toss the both of you out on your asses!” Luffy laughed and ran over to Zoro, showcasing a huge grin and two thumbs up. </p><p> </p><p>“Thanks Dadan! I’ll take Zoro to our room!” Luffy dragged Zoro in the direction of the inner rooms where his and Ace’s room was. Zoro followed, dragging along his barrel. Dadan opened her mouth to protest the action but Zoro glared at her and she felt a shiver run down her spine. She shut her mouth and watched the two boys as they disappeared from her sight. When they were gone she started to wonder why she had allowed them to leave so easily, they were just a couple of brats. She refused to acknowledge that she had been intimidated for a moment there, but she was quickly pulled out of her thoughts by Mogra who was shedding tears of delight. </p><p> </p><p>“Garp brought us an angel this time around!” He exclaimed and the others cheered enthusiastically. Dadan allowed herself to be swept up in celebration and dismissed the brats from her mind. </p><p> </p><p>...</p><p> </p><p>Ace arrived to see Dadan and the crew in the middle of a large celebration. He eyed the piles of gold and berries with suspicion, before sitting down to eat dinner. Luffy and the other one came out soon after the meat had been put on the fire. Ace observed the warm reception they recieved and inferred that they had been the ones to bring in the treasured haul that had them celebrating. Ace glared at the two all through dinner. How dare they undermine and upstage him? If he allowed things to continue like this he would end up abandoned once again. So Ace ignored Luffy’s attempts at conversation and tried to glare back at the quiet boy (Zolo?) who, despite being older, seemed to follow Luffy like a puppy. </p><p> </p><p>After dinner Luffy and the other boy went outside. Ace waited a few moments before sneaking behind them, hoping to follow them and stake out his competition. He was surprised to see that they had not gone to the forest like the previous night. Instead they were standing three feet apart in the clearing in front of the base and circling each other by the light of the torches. Ace hid himself in the shadows of the building and watched. </p><p> </p><p>Zolo darted forward with incredible speed, aiming a punch at Luffy’s stomach. Ace’s eyes could barely follow the older boy but Luffy dodged the blow with ease. This continued for a few more exchanges, Zolo attacking and Luffy evading. Ace tried not to think about how he had been intimidated by the swordsman’s glare and suppressed the admiration he felt at the kid that was smiling as he sparred with the monster. Zolo growled and Ace could barely hear him when he voiced his frustration.</p><p> </p><p>“I hate it when you do that.” The older boy said and Luffy laughed out loud. Luffy stopped bouncing around and started to retaliate. Zolo wasn’t as fast to dodge but he managed to block with relative ease. Despite both boys being younger than him, Ace found himself entranced by his match. After a few dozen exchanges of blows, both boys stopped, panting. Luffy turned and seemed to stare directly at him. Ace sunk further into the shadows to avoid detection. </p><p> </p><p>“Ne Ace you wanna join us? We’re just doing some light exercise to help dinner go down!” Ace did not know how to react to this. He should not have been spotted but Zolo was looking right at him too, maybe he had misjudged his own position. He stepped out of the shadows. Light exercise? Who were these two trying to fool? Even though they were both children, the lust for a fight was no less than what he would see at the grey terminal.</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t have to be scared. We’re both holding back, we won’t hurt you too bad.” Zolo said with a smirk that irritated Ace to no end. </p><p> </p><p>“Hmph. You’re a few years too young to even try.” Ace said with a snort and walked back into the base, ignoring the bright grin on Luffy’s face and the other’s chuckle. It wasn’t until Ace was in the room staring at the ceiling as he tried to fall asleep that he realized that the marimo’s words had not been a mere boast. Luffy hadn’t used his weird rubber powers and all three of the older boys’ swords had stayed sheathed. Their fight had seemed plenty vicious to him. If they called that light exercise Ace did not want to see them fighting at full strength. A few moments later he realized how strange his train of thought was and he dismissed it. They were just kids putting on a show. They did not know the hardships of the world. It was all an act. </p><p> </p><p>Ace was in that sweet place between dozing and deep sleep when he heard the sound of the door opening and two pairs of feet entering the room. Though the sounds had pushed him to full consciousness he continued to pretend to be asleep. Ace heard the sound of cups slowly filling and he slit his eyes when he smelt alcohol. Through the light of the moon he could see both boys holding cups and sitting back to back close to a barrel at the corner of the room beneath the window. He watched as both boys drank from cups whose very scent had his stomach turning in memory of his own horrible experience from a few days ago. Luffy was fiddling with his hat between gulps and Zolo stared unwaveringly at the moon. Ace was about to sink back into his sleep when he heard faint whispers coming from the two boys across the room. He forced his senses into sharp focus to pick up on their words.</p><p> </p><p>“...take too long.” He caught the tail end of Luffy’s sentence. Zolo hummed in response and Ace heard the sound of a cup being filled.</p><p> </p><p>“Nami should be first.” Ace kept his ears open hoping to glean some information that he could use to his advantage.</p><p> </p><p>“But Sanji could be somewhere starving on a rock by the time we make it out to sea.” Luffy whispered. Ace vaguely remembered that Sanji was a cook friend of Luffy’s. Why would he be starving at sea?</p><p> </p><p>“Better than dealing with those Germa pests.” Luffy sighed in response and Ace once more heard the sound of a cup being filled. Somehow the two were managing to whisper at a volume lower than that of the flowing liquid. He didn’t know if he was grateful for the consideration or irritated because he couldn’t be sure of the words he heard since they were so low. </p><p> </p><p>“Nami first I guess. We’ll need to push hard if we want to take them, they’re not the same as the average pirates in this blue.” Luffy said. Ace’s mind was whirring with questions. What were these people talking about? Pirates? They wanted to take them on? Were these brats suicidal? </p><p> </p><p>“It won't be any harder than Dressrosa or Wano.” Zolo said in what was probably meant to be a comforting tone. Ace pricked his ears at the unfamiliar names. Those weren’t the names of islands or cities in this blue. Were these brats from the other seas? But Luffy was Garp's grandson. He should’ve been born and raised on this island. What was this conversation they were having? They sounded like veteran sailors Ace overheard speaking on the docks of Goa, dreading the terrors of the Grand Line, yet somehow far more lax in their tone. </p><p> </p><p>“Ugh don’t remind me.” Luffy said in a more sedate tone than Ace had ever heard from the boy. They sat in silence for a while and Ace was about to give up on his eavesdropping when Luffy suddenly spoke again.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you think Whitebeard will stick around for a bit longer this time?” Luffy asked. Ace initially assumed that the boy was talking about Garp but somehow the name Whitebeard kept echoing in his mind. The two boys' conversation somehow became even lower and Ace dozed off with echoes ringing in his ears. </p><p> </p><p>That night he dreamt of cool blue fire, a comforting white mustache attached to a warm giant and he woke up to the sensation of red hot lava in his chest. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This is unedited. Sorry for the slow update. I’ll do my best to keep up the frequency without reducing the quality.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. by Noah and the Whale.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Ace shot up clutching at the center of his torso, still feeling the phantom pain from his dream. His eyes darted around the room but all he saw were empty drinking cups and futons. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Something’s missing.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He didn’t know where the thought came from but it made him frantic. He untangled himself from the sheets and wiped away the sweat that was dripping into his eyes as he ran out of the room. His eyes swept across the empty main hall, raid day meant none of the adults were around, despite knowing this well his heart wouldn’t calm down. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Where?! Where is it?! </span>
  </em>
  <span>He ran out the front door, not even registering that he had no idea what he was looking for. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As the clearing in front of the base came into view something inside Ace snapped and he collapsed against the door jamb in relief. Running laps around the clearing was a small boy wearing a characteristic straw hat. A sensation of peace flowed through him for a few moments before he fully woke up and frowned at his own ludicrous actions. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That was when the boy noticed him and without missing a beat changed course and ran full throttle in his direction while shouting his name with that impossibly wide smile. Ace stepped back instinctively but the younger boy seemed not to notice and just barreled into him wrapping his weird rubbery arms around his torso. The hat fell from the top of his head to rest across his shoulder blades. Ace’s hand reached out without permission aiming at that messy head of inky hair, lightly ruffling it for half a moment before he noticed his action and turned the light caress into a forceful push.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The fuck are you doing?!” He shouted, voice still hoarse from sleep. He wasn’t sure if he was asking the octopus wrapped around his torso or himself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luffy’s neck snapped up, eyes too wide and lightly teary. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh god, is he gonna cry now? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Ace’s frown deepened further as he looked into those watery eyes. However the pained expression quickly disappeared, replaced with his usual grin as he unwound his arms. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shishishi. Sorry ‘bout that! I was really pumped up from running and I went too far. Don’t be mad ok Ace?” The boy’s voice was cheerful but his eyes were clearly cautious, carefully evaluating his expression. Ace felt like his insides were jumbled up and his head hurt so he just turned away with a mumbled whatever and went to the kitchen for breakfast.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luffy swayed where he stood for a few moments, torn between following his big brother and pushing forward with his training. A horrid memory flashed in front of Luffy’s eyes and his expression hardened. He turned around and continued to run his laps with renewed determination.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I know it’s been a while and this is terribly short but the chapter felt like it needed to end there. I’m still writing though so maybe I’ll upload another one tonight.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Nothing in my way by Keane </p><p>This chapter became an intense brotherly bonding moment. I hope you like it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Luffy was panting, having finished the last of his push ups, concluding his workout for the morning. From where he was sprawled on his back, arms akimbo, he couldn’t see anything except the fluffy clouds drifting and changing shape above him. He had his haki stretched out to its max and was happy to notice that he could feel the outskirts of grey terminal. He pulled himself back when he noticed Ace exiting the base. He sighed in relief when he noticed that instead of the dark muddled confusion, Ace was back to his normal grumpy and pissy self. Luffy jumped to his feet and looked at Ace with anticipation. He wanted to meet Sabo again. It was already a minor miracle that he had held himself back this long.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t look at me like that. You can’t come. Go play with the other brat.” Ace snapped in reply to Luffy’s unvoiced hopes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Zoro went with the others on the raid. I’ll be bored to death if I stay here alone! Take me along!” Luffy pouted, knowing he was acting like a brat. But he looked the part so what was wrong with taking advantage once in a while? So long as Zoro wasn’t around he wouldn’t even need to be embarrassed.</span>
</p><p>   </p><p>
  <span>“What’s that got to do with me? I’m not your dad, I don’t have to take you anywhere.” Ace said and stomped into the forest. Luffy followed after him grinning.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who’d wanna go anywhere with that guy? He’s so boring and stiff.” Luffy said in reply, jogging to keep up with the older boys hurried steps. Despite the intense workout he had just completed he didn’t feel tired at all. The nostalgic situation filled him with elation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“At least you know him.” Ace mumbled, thinking Luffy couldn’t hear, but he did and his steps faltered. Ace assumed he had already gotten tired and raised his voice. “Stop following me!” Luffy picked up his pace again and caught up. Ace started to veer toward the more dangerous part of the forest but Luffy just smiled, not worried in the least. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ne Ace? Is what Dadan said true? Is your dad a demon too?” Luffy asked, feigning innocence, hoping to get Ace to open up. Ace stopped in his tracks and glared at Luffy who had jogged a few paces ahead, before realizing that Ace stopped. Luffy turned and took that glare head on, not fazed in the slightest. He tilted his head to the side innocently. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luffy used to be unable to tell a lie. Unable to think before he acted. Unable to strategize. Unable to be anything other than a reckless fool who dove head first into danger, dragging those around him with him. However, war and dying and a year alone filled with quiet contemplation and regret had taught him. When he died he had already picked up the basic skill of concealing his true motives and hitting the problem from the side. But he had still been as reckless and rash as ever. That year on Laugh Tale taught him patience. In this moment he was very grateful for all those stupid blunders and hard experiences. He would use every single one to the fullest this time around to live a better life. One of peace and happiness and long lives, rather than adventure and danger and death.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ace stayed quiet trying to glare him into dropping the subject. Luffy looked him in the eye and pretended not to notice the hostility oozing off the boy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So? Who was he? Did he have a high bounty? Did he kill bad people or good ones? Did he have friends? Ne, since they’re both demons do you think he knew my dad? Wouldn’t that be cool if he did?” Luffy assaulted Ace with questions, watching as the glare faded, replaced with confusion causing his brows to furrow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s all that matter!? He was a bad guy!” Ace shouted. Luffy frowned and unconsciously glared back, not noticing Ace’s shiver.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course it matters! If you don’t know anything about him how do you know he’s bad!?” Luffy was seething inside. He kept it controlled enough that his conqueror’s haki didn’t come out and hurt Ace but that glare of his was exceptionally cold and harsh. It struck him for the first time how little Ace knew about the great man that was his father despite his rage towards Roger being at an all time high at this point. He also realized that he had never spoken to Ace about the matter when they had met again on the high seas and he cursed his own insensitivity. What men don’t talk about their problems and feelings? That shit led his first mate to literally spill his guts from the pain. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ace scoffed and looked away, unable to take the mounting pressure anymore. He wanted to turn his back to the boy before him and walk away but his feet were rooted to the ground. No matter how he thought about it, that cold glare was out of place on Luffy’s chubby, usually smiling face. It reminded Ace of what he saw in the mirror but it was darker. Deeper. Scary just to look at. Luffy was younger than him and lived his whole life on this island, to have that type of expression he would’ve had to have lived through a harsher life than Ace himself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ace wanted to chalk it up to his imagination but his skin was still covered in goosebumps and, thinking about it, it wasn’t the first time Luffy had given off this sort of impression. That time with Dadan flashed through his mind and he wondered if this was how she had felt being scolded by the boy. The pressure Ace felt kept building, despite looking away from that cold expression, his knees started to shake. Ace unclenched his jaw to say something to hopefully dispel the tension. Yet despite his surface intentions, his true thoughts came out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who else would leave a kid to suffer the consequences for their actions?” Ace said, his voice quiet and soft. Luffy wouldn’t have even heard him if it weren’t for the unnatural quiet in the forest around him. A part of Luffy sighed and collapsed, understanding and sympathizing, but a greater part just got more mad. He thought he was an idiot, turns out Ace was even worse than him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s dead isn’t he?! It’s not like he’s off on some random island with his friends, not sparing you a thought, is it?! He gave you to Gramps to take care of, didn’t he?! It’s not like he can stop people from being stupid and hurting you, he’s fucking dead! There’s nothing anyone can do about that! At least even then, he did something for you so you could live even if he didn’t! Did you ever stop to think how lucky that is!? No! You don’t even bother! You believe what the stupid people say instead of trying to find out for yourself! What an idiot!” Luffy was panting from his outburst. He had unknowingly poured out his own frustrations, lowering his guard around his big brother and slipping. He didn’t know how he managed to keep his deadly haki from exploding but his entire body was shaking from the effort. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ace was dumbfounded. His eyes had met Luffy’s once more when he started to shout at him. Luffy’s pupils were so small that they seemed to have been swallowed by his irises, which had taken on a reddish hue. The air around him seemed to be buzzing like a mirage. Ace was so surprised and perplexed that he almost didn’t pay attention to what Luffy was saying. When he understood his eyes widened and he fell to his knees. He felt like his entire world had been uprooted. Luffy was right. His father was dead. It wasn’t his fault he couldn’t protect him. Yet Ace hadn’t even tried to believe that. He looked at the grandson of the only man that had taken him in and treated him without prejudice. Was that something his father had arranged? The thought had never even crossed his mind. His heart had been so blackened that his father was nothing more than the scum of the earth in his eyes, all because he believed people who’d been nothing but foul to him. He’d never asked Garp because he had believed that he himself didn’t care, but was that really the truth?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Despite the fact that his world felt like it was shaking apart around him and everything felt uncertain and strange, he latched onto a particular phrase Luffy had said. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He’s off on some random island with his friends, not sparing you a thought. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He remembered Luffy’s confrontation with Dadan. Was that talking about his own father? It occurred to Ace for the first time that there could be someone with a worse situation than him. Luffy had said he was the most wanted man. That meant that people would probably treat Luffy worse than they did him if they knew. His mind brought up the image of that too wide smile and the bobbing straw hat, and rage welled up inside him. Ace felt the sudden urge to protect and crush anyone who would dare even try to do to Luffy what they had done to him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sudden surge of powerful emotion propelled him to his feet and he walked towards the still livid boy before him, the pressure from before no longer affecting him. He looked right into those red black eyes on his way and when he reached Luffy he grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him to his chest, wrapping his arms around the straw hatted boy. Luffy froze, going stiff in his arms. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ace?” That voice was still cold but the boy’s confusion was clear.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shhhh.” Ace voiced firmly, momentarily squeezing the boy. At that Luffy seemed to collapse, body turning slack. Luffy grasped at Ace’s shoulders and fell to his knees, dragging Ace down with him. Ace heard a muffled sob and the strength of his hold increased. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Quiet tears ran down his face as Luffy sobbed into his chest. Luffy was right, he was an idiot. He wasn’t a kid anymore [lol. thinks the 10 yr old. forgive me.]. He should’ve thought of this himself. Ace looked down at the boy sobbing into his chest, rubber arms too tight around his chest. At that moment he made a choice. He wouldn’t let this joyful, pure kid be treated like he had been. Just the thought of that angry face he saw in the mirror in the mornings or that chilling glare being a permanent feature on Luffy’s face filled him with a too strong sense of rage and protectiveness and </span>
  <em>
    <span>wrong</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Ace vowed to himself that he would not allow even the possibility of such an outcome.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luffy’s sobs turned to sniffles but his hold on Ace didn’t loosen. Enveloped in the unexpected safety of his big brother’s arms Luffy couldn’t help but let loose all the indignation and injustice he felt inside. At his father and grandfather, at Ace and Sabo, at Zoro, at all the people who had died far too early. He only started to restrain himself when he felt the intrusion of a small cautious presence in the quiet circle that had formed around the two of them. Recognizing that it wasn’t a threat, he was reluctant to let go of Ace. It was only when Ace stiffened and his presence, previously full of sadness and protectiveness, became consumed by caution. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luffy extricated himself from Ace, noting how the boy reached for a metal pipe that wasn’t there. Luffy sighed and suddenly a wave of exhaustion hit him. He felt far too old and tired. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey Tora.” He said, his voice hoarse from his sobbing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Luffy?” Ace asked, cautious and on his guard. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s ok.” Luffy reassured as he walked over to the hesitant tiger cub hiding between the trees and shrubs. He sat down and Tora just stared at him. After a moment of staring at each other quietly, Tora approached him. Luffy could feel Ace’s imposing presence at his back and he unconsciously raised his arm, revealing an open palm. His default signal to his crew for them to wait. It surprised Luffy when Ace froze, as if understanding. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tora walked right up to him and after a moment of clear indecision, she prowled into his space and started to gently lick his cheeks, wiping away Luffy’s tears. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tora’s a friend.” Luffy explained to Ace, whose shock and disbelief was practically palpable. The truth was Luffy himself was surprised by the gentle consideration from the beast. But after a very brief moment of surprise he gratefully welcomed it. He’d always felt at ease among animals, this was no exception. Ace remained tense at his back, ready to strike at a moment's notice. After a few minutes of licking, turned into gentle nuzzling, Ace somewhat relaxed and stepped back, falling on his ass to sit just behind Luffy’s left shoulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re too weird.” Ace said, voice full of conviction and false condemnation. In response Luffy only grinned widely, stroking Tora’s head. Even without looking at Ace, Luffy could see the suppressed grinning expression on his big brother’s face. But then again he didn’t even need to. He could feel the peace and contentment flowing through Ace, practically shouting out its presence in the unnaturally quiet forest. Luffy lightly hugged Tora, conveying his gratitude. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess I am, huh?” Luffy said, his smile growing unnaturally wide. He thought to himself that Ace was certainly right and for the moment his shoulders felt as light as air, unburdened by sadness or loss or grief.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>This is good. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So this chapter is pretty wordy and maybe it’ll come across a little choppy because of all the complex emotions I tried to convey between the sparse dialogue. It ,Ishtar get fixed some day far into the future when I fully edit this monster.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Attempt 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So um... I tried multiple times to continue the story off of the last chapter I wrote but it just didn't work. The characters and interactions felt wrong and weren't in direction I wanted so instead of continuing to smack my head against a wall trying to figure out how to make it work I just rewrote this chapter. A new one should be comig soon-ish. So sorry to everyone and thank you so much. </p><p>Demons by Imagine Dragons</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was not even mid-morning, Zoro was stalking a caravan carrying cargo meant for one of the nobles in the walled city with Dadan and her band of merry misfits. They were waiting for the caravan to enter the forest where movement would be hindered for the unskilled and those unfamiliar with the territory. The destination was in sight when Zoro felt a piercing pain in his chest. He was suddenly enveloped by pain and anguish and rage and frustration. He gasped and clutched at his chest trying to quell the onslaught of emotions. He vaguely registered someone crawling over to him and whispering to ask if he was alright. |Instinctively he pulled out a sword and pointed it at the offender even as he was still crouched, eyes tightly clenched and breathing ragged. </p><p> </p><p>After a few moments he noticed the familiar sensation of emotions not his own taking him over. It had happened a few times with the demon in his eye, Zoro’s mind was whirring trying to gauge if it was possible that it had travelled back in time with him, even if he had gotten his eye back. He instinctively froze all of his muscles and made sure to cease any energy that was emanating outward. </p><p> </p><p><em> “Stand down.” </em> He heard an echo in his head and his mind short circuited. He was unaware of where he was and what age he was in. He could feel his mind slowly sinking into panic but he forced himself to calm down and slowly unfurled his observation haki. He pushed the boundary until his head started to ache but he didn't feel any familiar presences. He gritted his teeth and pushed some more finally catching a wisp of Luffy very close to some vaguely familiar fluffy thing that he recognized as safe and he let out a small sigh of relief. Then he sensed someone else, someone vaguely familiar that immediately rang alarm bells in his head, it was probably the one responsible for the surge of emotion that he now understood came from his captain. </p><p> </p><p>Zoro suddenly opened his eyes, razor sharp focus and determination the only emotions present. He unsheathed all three of his swords and darted out of the bushes onto the mountain road. He cut down a wheel from the caravan in his way and immediately slashed at the vital veins on the extremities of the ones in his way. When the last pest was cut down he headed towards his captain as fast as his limbs could carry him. His surroundings were a blur of brown and green and grey, branches and stones cut into the flesh of his legs and shoulders and face but he seemed not to feel them, his mind focused solely on the ever nearing presence of his Senchou. He did not notice when the surroundings flying past him turned from the colourful fresh air of the forest to the grey and bleak filth of the Grey Terminal. The captain was close, that dangerous person was still next to him, along with a completely foreign presence. Zoro forced his burning limbs to move harder, faster, <em> closer.  </em></p><p> </p><p>He turned a corner and the first thing his vision zeroed in on was that familiar straw hat, the second thing was the black haired boy with freckles, standing way too close to <em> his </em> Senchou. Zoro didn’t hesitate before drawing Wado and pointing it at the offensive boy’s neck. The only thing that stopped his blade from immediately decapitating him was a sharp <em> Zoro! </em> barked out just as his blade touched flesh. <em> If it was a demon blade that wouldn't have mattered and his prey would have already fallen </em>, he thought darkly, a dark smile and sharp glare adorning his face. Despite his panting and exhausted muscles the blade was perfectly steady, and the boy at the other end of it looked ready to piss himself which only made Zoro’s grin widen.</p><p> </p><p>“Sabo! Take another step and you and Ace will <em> both </em>die. Stand down, I’ll handle this.” Zoro heard Luffy speak and slowly the thought that something wasn’t right started to creep up on him. </p><p> </p><p>“Zoro. Calm down. What’s wrong? Why are you pointing your sword at Ace?” Luffy’s soft gentle tone permeated through the haze covering his mind. His sadistic smile fell, a slight frown taking its place. </p><p> </p><p>“Don’t pull that shit with me, Senchou. I know this brat hurt you again.” Zoro said through gritted teeth, momentarily taking his eyes off Ace to glare at Luffy who was by his side and half a step behind, just shy of touching him. Zoro saw the confusion of his face before a vague light of understanding flashed through his eyes. <em> Good. He understood. </em> He turned his eyes back to the boy in front of him. The boy gulped and the movement at his throat caused a few droplets of blood to flow out, running down his blade. The sight brought Zoro a deep, perverse sense of satisfaction.</p><p> </p><p>“Zoro, I can explain. What happened earlier was just me being stupid, Ace had nothing to do with it.” Luffy said in a soft tone. A firm hand gripped his shoulder, the other took hold of the hand gripping his sword. Zoro let out a dark chuckle.</p><p> </p><p>“So it wasn’t just <em>that</em> <em>time? </em>Seems like everytime you see this guy it’s the same. I find that very hard to believe. You sure you’re not just covering up after this <em>screw up </em>you call a big brother?” Zoro asked viscously, turning his gaze back to Luffy. He saw something so vast and dark in his eyes that for a moment Zoro thought he was going to be swallowed by a demon again, but it disappeared just as quickly as it came. </p><p> </p><p>“Zoro!” This time Luffy’s voice was much firmer and the hand gripping his wrist tightened. “I can explain.” Luffy whispered that final bit, and his eyes carried a sense of desperate pleading. Zoro gritted his teeth and wrenched himself out of Luffy’s hold. He turned to the boys and growled.</p><p> </p><p>“Scram!”</p><p> </p><p>“Can you two leave us alone for a bit? I’ll come find you and explain later.” Zoro watched as Ace turned his head and humphed, stomping away, while the blonde’s gaze shifted between the two of them for a few moments, especially lingering on Zoro, before going back to Luffy and nodding then turning to chase after Ace. </p><p> </p><p>Zoro sat on the ground and Luffy followed soon after.</p><p> </p><p>“Explain.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Please keep in mind this is a fix it feel good story. All the pain suffered by any and all of the characters will be repaid many times over through sheer fluffy happiness.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>For any and all of you that haven't noticed I changed up the previous chapter because it just wasn't working so go back and read that if you want any of this to make sense. Thank you for your patience and sticking with me.</p><p>The River by Good Charlotte</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Luffy was practically floating on air as he climbed over the garbage heaps towards the old treasure tree. Ace was still taciturn but at least he wasn't driving him away anymore, so Luffy started telling him about Shanks and his dream to build the strongest crew in history and become the Pirate King.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ne, Ace, do you think you'd wanna join my crew?" Luffy asked as the treasure tree came in sight. He had hesitated quite a bit before voicing this question. He knew Ace wanted to be free and prove himself so he'd probably refuse but Luffy just wanted to keep his family together. Ace scoffed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Who'd wanna join your wimpy ass crew?" Ace asked but his lips quirked up as Luffy started hopping around, seemingly fuming. Though Luffy appeared indignant he was actually delighted that he didn't receive a flat out no. </span>
  <em>
    <span>In that case</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Luffy thought with a mischievous smile, </span>
  <em>
    <span>better work hard to convince him early on, before he makes up his mind to go off on his own.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oi oi! My crew is gonna be the best in the world! Didn't you hear me? A gorgeous navigator, a brave warrior of the sea for a sniper, a prince for a chef, a world reknown archaeologist, a cyborg shipwright, a reindeer doctor, a skeleton musician, a fish-" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Are you insane? Do people like that even exist?" Ace asked, cutting off Luffy's proud tirade. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Shishishi. Of course they do!" Luffy stretched out his arms and grabbed onto a tree branch hoisting himself up and spreading his arms wide. "There's a huuuuge world out there on the seas! You can find all sorts of people and places and treasures! I mean look at me! I'm a rubberman! Bet you never would've thought something like that exists, right?" Luffy exclaimed, pinching his cheeks and stretching them up to form a large extra wide grin. Ace was looking up at him skeptically but he didn't refute his words. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That's weird as hell." A new voice said. Ace turned around with a slight smile on his face and Luffy jumped down from the tree.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yo." Sabo grinned at Ace revealing a missing tooth and then turned his attention towards Luffy. He eyed him from hat to toes and back up again with a raised eyebrow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You must be Luffy. I've heard about you and I really wanted to meet you. Gotta say I didn't expect that you'd be able to make it out here so soon. I'm Sabo. Nice to meet ya." Sabo said, sticking out his hand. Luffy happily shook it, his smile unnaturally large and his eyes sparkling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yo! Wanna join my crew?" Luffy asked, aiming for a double victory. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"If you actually find a gorgeous navigator and something as weird as a skeleton musician I'll consider it." Sabo said with heavy and sceptic sarcasm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yosh!!" Luffy was undaunted in fact he was elated. He started jumping up and down and wrapping his limbs around his brothers. Ace tried to pull him off unsuccessfully and Sabo simply poked at the limb wrapped three times around his torso, curious. Ace took it for about five seconds before he started yelling and cursing at Luffy calling him an octopus and a leech and much more. Luffy happily listened to the tirade for a while before giving in and letting go of his brothers, enjoying the residual warmth on his shrinking arms. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ne Ace. You want help bringing home a big haul for Dadan?" Luffy asked, ambling up to the boy trying to barter his way out of his black book. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Ace's eye twitched and he opened his mouth to reply, when suddenly a glint of steel and a head of green hair interrupted him. The name was spoken full of threatening warning before he even fully comprehended the situation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luffy reached out with his haki and felt that the broken spirit of Zoro that had slowly started to knit together these last few days but was on the verge of shattering again, shaking as if it was standing in an earthquake. Zoro was in a fragile state. As much as Luffy hated to think about and admit it, it was fact. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he first saw his first mate again the reason he did not recognize him immediately was because that familiar unyielding iron spirit was more like a tattered sail. When Luffy saw that after a day spent together and really processing that they were both here and alive, Zoro's will had started to recover at a rapid pace and even Luffy had felt some part of him that still felt like a ghost solidify and root down. So Luffy had turned a blind eye to it, not wanting to risk talking about it in case that progress slowed or even worse reverted. He now realized that that was a mistake. Zoro was indeed more solid but he was brittle. Luffy could tell that one wrong move now would be disastrous. Zoro might not still have a demon inside him or in his swords but the cursed mark was still on his soul. So when Luffy glimpsed Sabo trying to creep behind Zoro with his metal pipe he did not hesitate to expose him and demand that he stop. The hesitation and fear in Sabo's eyes was obvious but the boy believed him and halted where he stood but he didn't put down his pipe. Luffy internally let out a sigh and started to work damage control. Ace and Sabo would probably push him away again but that would be a problem for later. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zoro calling Ace a screw up nearly made him lash out. But Luffy still vividly remembered how he had felt after Ace's sacrifice and how his crew had been after his own. The memories and emotions almost made that deep and dark part of him that he never wanted to think of or feel overflow to the surface. He pushed it down and chastised Zoro but as he did he contemplated his first mates words. Zoro was harsh but his sight was unbelievably clear. Even if his words killed you that didn't necessarily mean he was wrong. That sacrifice was instinctive and it had his whole heart behind it in that moment. Afterwards, in the quiet isolation of Laugh Tale when the broken and devastated faces of his crew would resurface in his mind he would sink into contemplation. Wondering if there was a better choice. One where no one died. One where no one would lose their minds to grief, cry themselves to sleep, or wake up in nightmares. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luffy didn't regret taking that blow for Zoro, but he did regret dying. He had never thought that made him a screw up but at the same time he couldn't deny his first mates harsh words. He was their damn </span>
  <em>
    <span>Captain, the  fucking Pirate King! </span>
  </em>
  <span>He had already done so many impossible things. He couldn't in good conscience convince himself that there was no other choice. It's just that after a full year thinking about it, the only answer he had was that he was too weak. He needed to be strong enough that nothing could kill him. Then he would be able to stand between his nakama and danger without reservation. Maybe if he had asked Robin she could have come up with a better answer but that hadn't been possible and it still wasn't, it wouldn't be for a long time. Luffy suddenly felt exhausted deep down to the marrow of his rubber bones. Zoro caught it and temporarily stood down before chasing away his brothers. Luffy expended the last of his energy to shoo them away a bit more softly and tell them he'd find them again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Explain." Zoro demanded as soon as they were both seated. Luffy sighed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You don't happen to have a gourd with you, do you? I could use a drink." Zoro's eyes narrowed. He examined Luffy closely at the request. Luffy had never drank so often before, maybe he missed it since he had been dead for a year but somehow Zoro doubted that. The fact that Luffy felt the need to drink made the rage thrumming in Zoro go up a notch but he looked closely and saw the slight slump of his Captain's shoulders and the exhaustion in his eyes before forcing his own tense shoulders and seething anger to calm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I was going to get one the next time we went raiding." Zoro replied with a shrug. Luffy sighed and his shoulders slumped a bit further, then he opened his mouth to speak. As much as he wanted to hear what he had to say, Zoro could use a drink himself and Senchou seemed like he really needed it. So he disappeared before Luffy could speak. He ran for a minute or so, knocked out a decrepit bum and rummaged through rubble for a bit until he came out with two of the five bottles the bum had been hoarding. Zoro considerately hid the stash once more and then returned to the large tree where his Captain was waiting. Luffy had climbed the tree and was sitting with his back to the trunk, arms behind his head staring at the horizon with a sad look on his face. Zoro struggled to climb up to join him. He didn't want to admit it but his muscles burned something fierce and he wasn't sure he could make it up there with the two pilfered bottles in one piece. It turned out Zoro didn't need to worry. As soon as he'd climbed the first branch rubber limbs came down and wrapped themselves around him tight before pulling him up until he was seated in front of Luffy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're heavy." Luffy said. The sad look was gone and replaced with a small smile as he took one of the bottles Zoro was holding. Zoro narrowed his eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Shut up." He snapped. Then they both pulled out the corks in the bottles with their teeth, spat them down, clinked their bottles and took a pull of the cheap shitty sake, their movements perfectly in sync. They were both quiet for a moment as they looked to the horizon at the blue blue sea that was barely visible even from their vantage point, due to the small mountains of garbage. The tree was too stable, the air was too foul and the sea was too far. Zoro desperately wished they were back in the crow's nest of the Sunny looking up at the stars instead of in this hellhole, having to wait fuck knows how long to reunite with their nakama. He knew even without looking that Luffy was wishing the same. They took a few more pulls from their bottles.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You ok?" Zoro broke the silence first. The answer was his foremost concern. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Honestly Zoro… I don't think I've been ok since I died." Zoro sucked in a breath through his teeth. He really didn't want to remember that scene or any of what followed. He sucked back his sake, feeling like something inside him was seconds away from falling apart. His free hand reached out and grabbed Luffy's wrist and as he felt that throbbing pulse some of the burning pain in his chest eased. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, me either." He admitted, his voice hoarse. Luffy twisted his wrist out of Zoro's grip, moved closer so their entire sides were touching, shoulder to knee, and twined his fingers around Zoro's holding tightly. They stayed like that for a while just drinking sake and the warm presence beside them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ace was grumbling about his dad. I tried to get him to open up about it a bit, hopefully loosen up that ball of rage in him and tell him how awesome his dad was." Luffy took another pull. "I spoke to him, you know, Roger. Quite a few times. His ghost would show up on Laugh Tale once in a while. He was a great man, better than all the stories could ever portray." Zoro's hand tightened around Luffy's and he looked to see what sort of look the other had on his face. His mouth held a small smile but his eyes were clouded and sad. Zoro stayed quiet, patiently waiting for his captain to continue.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"He called him a bad guy, despite not knowing shit about him and I just sorta snapped and berated him pretty badly. He seemed to listen to me so it was all good after, but for a while there, I was a mess of rage and pain. That's probably what brought you running." Zoro looked down at their shoes hanging down over open air, then towards their hands clasped together, then towards his captain's face shaded by the brim of his hat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He never had parents, never knew a damn thing about them, never cared to. Koushirou was the closest thing he had to a father and compared to Ace and Luffy's, he was, well, stellar. At least he wasn't invisible or dead, and Kuina was a great sister in all the ways Zoro needed. Since Zoro couldn't relate he just sat there quietly and he felt that same ball of rage and pain from before grow in his chest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I dunno, I guess hearing Ace putting Roger down when the guy did everything possible for a dying man to do just flipped my switch. Seems like it doesn't take much to do that these days… Sorry I made you worry." Luffy admitted softly. His tongue was sticking a bit and he saw that Luffy's bottle was almost empty. He looked down at his own and found it in more or less the same state. Though his head was a bit fuzzy he was bigger and probably not as affected as Luffy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sorry I attacked Ace and called him a screw up." Zoro admitted just as softly. "Whatever progress you'd made with him I probably undid." Now that he had calmed down Zoro felt guilty. He knew better than anyone how much Luffy treasured his bond with his brothers and he'd fucked with that. He was surprised Luffy wasn't a lot more mad. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ne Zoro, what would you think if Ace and Sabo joined our crew?" The question startled Zoro and he didn't know how to respond, he thought about it for a while as he took a tiny measured sip of what was left of his sake. Even after that he still had no answer so he just shrugged. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're the Captain. You decide who's on your crew, though, I'm in it for good whether you like it or not." Zoro said and he left it at that. Luffy's shoulders, which had been growing tense, relaxed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Thanks Zoro." Luffy said and despite having finished his bottle his voice sounded completely sober this time. Then again Luffy's metabolism was always ridiculous. Zoro hummed and kept taking small sips, hoping the half inch in his bottle would last forever so they wouldn't have to come down. The day had been so tiring and it wasn't even lunch time yet. Zoro really wanted to take a nap on a boat right about now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ne Zoro?" Luffy asked but said nothing further. Zoro hummed again with his eyes half shut. "Do you wanna see if we can borrow a boat from one of the fishermen?" Zoro's eyes snapped open and he turned his neck to look at Luffy so fast he got whiplash. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zoro had been on a boat less than a week ago but he'd been alone surrounded by strangers. A boat with Luffy on it. Zoro had been dreaming about that for more than a year. When his hopeful eyes met Luffy's shining ones and his wide grin, Zoro didn't hesitate to nod and give an </span>
  <em>
    <span>Aye, Senchou! </span>
  </em>
  <span>He finished off his bottle, threw it so it smashed against a bedpost in the heap and jumped down, doing two flips before landing with his knees bent. He looked up to see Luffy, who had just jumped and was hurtling towards him at full speed, clearly having no intention of making a graceful landing, but his arms and legs were spread apart except for the one holding onto his hat and he was laughing all the way. A long, pure Luffy laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zoro debated for a moment if he ought to let him splat straight on the ground but then he saw the metal pieces and broken wood jutting out of the ground and he got on his feet just in time to catch him in his arms, only to immediately fall back on his ass.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're heavy." Zoro complained.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Shut up." They looked at each other, only to find the same wide stupid grin on the others face. So they laughed, got off their asses, and started walking.</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>These poor PTSD babies.  I can't wait to wrap them in fluff and comedy and nakama and skinship.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Sabo walked away with Ace who was still rubbing the intact skin of his neck every now and then. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What the hell was that?" Sabo asked, after a while of thinking and still unable to find a satisfactory explanation. Ace shrugged. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I haven't known them all that long but those guys have some major issues. And they're like seriously weird." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Aren't you upset? He called you a screw up." Ace shrugged again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That guy has never liked me. It's only been a few days but that guy clearly hates me to the bone. He's never made a move before though, so I think that Luffy's genuine. Considering how that guy follows him like a puppy that's the only reason I could think of as to why I wasn't stabbed before. Him being openly hostile like that, it's almost a relief. At least now I know he's not the type to scheme behind my back and just come at me. Besides him calling me a screwup, he's not wrong." Ace said nonchalantly, his usually fiery temper nowhere to be seen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Of course he is!" Sabo uncharacteristically lost his bearing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You know Sabo, just today I learned that whatever you see or hear of a person it's only just a fraction of reality. Towards those two even the fraction that I know is too little to make a choice. I thought you of all people would know this much." Ace said, throwing a sideways glance at Sabo. Sabo sighed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're not wrong but even I can get pissed beyond reason when my best friend's life is in danger." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hehehe. It's surprising to see Sabo so sentimental." Just before Sabo's anger erupted Ace continued in a small voice, "Thanks. It's a pretty good feeling to know you got my back."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>...</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Luffy led the way to the border between the grey terminal and Goa kingdom where Ace and Sabo were lingering. They were both somewhat too tired, considering what they had achieved that day, which amounted to nothing. By the time they arrived at where the pair was bickering, Luffy had succeeded in putting on a clueless grin and Zoro was completely remorseful. Still once the two noticed them, both went completely quiet. The atmosphere was tense and quiet for a few moments. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ne Zoro. You think you can manage to bring in me and Ace's share of the haul while you're picking up what you need from Goa? I'm beat. Shishishi." Luffy asked. Zoro responded automatically. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Who do you think you're talking to?" Zoro replied full of snark. "Though…" Zoro allowed his unspoken question to trail off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No restrictions. Go wild." Luffy said with a wide smile. "Just make sure to get enough sake for me too." To that, both boys smiled more widely than the atmosphere and their age called for. Ace and Sabo stayed quiet through their carefree exchange. The polar opposite of the charged atmosphere between them a mere hour before. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hahaha. Aye Senchou!" Zoro replied. Ace and Sabo just stared, not believing that this was the same person that had been threatening their lives not so long ago. Both unconsciously turned towards Luffy for an explanation but he didn't bother to spare them more than a glance.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oi Zoro! Don't forget the gold! And don't get lost! I'll wait by the cliff!" Luffy shouted even though Zoro had already disappeared past their line of sight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ace and Sabo stared for a moment at the empty space that had once held Zoro. Neither one could tell when exactly he had disappeared. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Anyway, Ace you don't have to worry about dinner and next week! Zoro's got you covered. It's his way of saying sorry, you know?" Then without waiting for a reply continued. "Say, why don't we go back to the forest for lunch? My food's not as good as Sanji's but I bet it's awesome by your standards." Luffy said with an extra wide grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oi!! Who do you think you are!?!" Ace asked, acting full of righteous fury even as he followed Luffy's trek through the grey terminal. Sabo stayed quiet. Merely observing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What's wrong Ace? You not hungry now?" Luffy asked even as he kept walking. Not receiving an answer after 0.5 seconds, Luffy just barreled on. "Tell you what, you both manage to keep up with me for the next ten minutes. I'll give you the best meal you've ever had in your lives." Without waiting for a response Luffy started running. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ace and Sabo looked at each other, trying to decide a course of action. Near death experience with a wacko turned lamb before Luffy vs the promise of food and gold.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, I'm interested." Sabo spoke first.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I live with him. No matter how much I don't want to." Ace said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Best meal…."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I guess we should follow him, huh? Just to see how far his bluff goes." Ace suggested.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>By the time Ace and Sabo caught up to Luffy's tracks (which he could've very easily hidden), Luffy was roasting wild foul but the scent was like nothing they'd ever experienced before. More than appetizing it felt like it pulled you in by the sheer force of the aroma. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ace and Sabo spared each other a glance before simultaneously digging into the duck/goose/pigeon/seagull Luffy had prepared for them and indeed… it was the best they'd ever had. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luffy simply kept grilling meat that the duo had no idea of the source. When a large white tiger approached them Sabo and Ace stiffened. Ace relaxed first and Luffy simply tossed a portion of the grilled foul to the tiger. Every fifth piece he would toss one high into the air and the tiger would leap and twist to catch it. Sabo simply sat there with half a mouthful dripping out of his mouth, watching the bizarre spectacle of tiger turned housecat by a seven year old.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"So… no one is going to talk about the giant feline?" Sabo asked after a few minutes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"She's one of Luffy's friends. If you want sanity, you don't ask about Luffy's friends." Ace responded. Luffy had not reacted to this past turning the meat above the fire. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Shishishi. You don't even know the half of it." Luffy mumbled darkly under his breath as he grilled enough for himself and Zoro too since the other three were being fed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What was that?" Sabo asked. Luffy hummed and looked up, eyes full of innocent query. Ace shrugged and kept stuffing his face but Sabo momentarily put his food down. "What about your other friend? With the sword?" Sabo asked, eyes piercing and clear. God, Luffy missed that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"He was just looking out for me." Luffy replied. Sabo was gobsmacked by the pair of them. The swordsman appeared out of nowhere on the verge of taking his only friend's life, and Luffy was able to leash and handle such a monster. Though Sabo was kinda terrified he was also insatiably curious. He'd heard that Luffy was weird (at length) but not about the boy with the sword or the tiger. Ace had been holding out on him, the bastard. As soon as they were alone together again he was going to throttle him. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>"By trying to kill Ace and calling him a screw up? Seems like a real gentle soul." Sabo said, voice dripping with sarcasm. Luffy was quiet for a moment, quietly continuing to pile up a mountain of meat. Though Sabo had discussed the matter with Ace, it didn't mean he would let the other party off without an explanation.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We've got a few issues we're dealing with. Besides Ace ain't even bothered!" Ace glared at Luffy's words but when he opened his mouth all he did was ask for more meat. Luffy smiled at Sabo and gave him a fresh piece of meat as consolation. Sabo batted it away and Tora snapped it up, swallowing it in one gulp and licking her lips before she went back to pacing by the meat pile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Has it been a week or ten years? I can't even tell anymore. They're so batshit I just got used to it at some point." Ace mumbled looking at Luffy with narrowed eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sabo snapped not even looking at him. "That green haired bastard insulted you! You almost died!!!" Sabo shouted at Ace again. Ace just shrugged.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Dadan's done worse." Sabo opened his mouth to speak again but Ace shoved the remainder of his meat into his mouth. Telling him without words to just drop it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Truthfully, Ace agreed with Sabo in his mind but somehow he could not get angry. He thought of the whimpers and yells he'd heard in the middle of the night when one of them had nightmares and how afterwards they sat beneath the window back to back whispering to each other and drinking. It had happened to Luffy every night so far too. Ace didn't know what their nightmares were about and he didn't know what they talked about save a few words here or there. Ace also didn't know why he thought that mattered at all. He had almost pissed himself when he heard Luffy yell. What frightened him more was that he heard Luffy's shout before he felt the sword or saw the man. Luffy had looked out for him, got angry at his friend for someone he hadn't known a week. Ace not getting angry and shutting Sabo's mouth was payback. That's all it was. Yes. Right.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Tora! That's for me and Zoro! Get your own! You said you liked it raw anyway! Behave and Zoro and I will train you tonight." Luffy's wild shout and flailing interrupted the tense awkward atmosphere between Sabo and Ace. Both watched as the tiger's tail and head dipped low, butted Luffy's head and walked back into the forest with a whimper. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Honestly. Children are so troublesome." Liffy said, taking off his hat to brush off the fallen fur. Then his eyes strayed to the meat and he started to drool, he shook his head and looked away only to look back and repeat the process. Ace and Sabo looked at each other. A seven year old saying children are troublesome and not a minute later acting the same way himself. The two started to violently shake with suppressed laughter and when Luffy glared at them they just laughed outright. Next to the aromatic pile of meat, Luffy glanced at his laughing brothers with a wide grin of his own, then he inhaled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Zoro I swear on the Sunny if you got lost again I'll use your swords as skewers!!!" He shouted into the wind as his stomach gave out a loud growl. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not even two minutes later, said swordsman appeared, a backpack close to bursting on his back and a barrel of what was presumably sake being carried at his front. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"As if I could get lost. Senchou when did you get this good at cooking? I could've sworn I'd find Sanji at the source." Zoro said nonchalantly, nodding casually at Ace and Sabo as he unloaded his haul. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Shishishi. I just watch and learn. Pretty good don't you think?" Luffy replied, passing a portion of the meat to Zoro even as he himself stuffed his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zoro simply hummed noncommittally. Nonetheless, he ate earnestly while emptying out more than half the backpack into two piles. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"For you and Sabo." Zoro said after the majority of the backpack had been emptied. "Sorry about before." He said, not looking at them directly.  Faced with an apology and a small mountain of gold that would normally take them months to obtain, the grudges mostly disappeared from both boys hearts. Without giving them time to offer gratitude, Zoro spoke again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"There isn't much left for us. You better get a dinner good enough to avoid Dadan's wrath." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Shishishi you've worked hard. Poor Zoro. Leave it to me. We still have to train Tora tonight so you can rest until then. Leave the rest to me. Dadan definitely won't be able to complain." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After finishing the meal Sabo parted ways with them and the rest made their way to the mountain, Luffy carrying the heavy load while Zoro trailed behind him and Ace. When they arrived at the bandits hideout he passed his load back to Zoro, telling him to bear with it and that he wouldn't take long before disappearing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zoro stood there being lectured by Dadan for the measly haul even as Ace got praised for his achievements without complaint. Meanwhile Ace, while feeling happy to have one upped the newcomer and receiving Dadan's praise, it was still only a shallow feeling. Afterall it was the other person's hardwork and skill that was being praised. As Ace was trapped between these feelings of gratitude and stubborn pride and reputation Luffy showed up once more, panting hard with a certain bar owner trailing behind him. Together they brought three barrels of sake and a large amount of baked goods. Naturally Dadan's mood turned sunny in an instant. Scolding and praising these two matters were quickly forgotten. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The entire group of bandits genially served Makino, who mostly kept her eye on Luffy, who was happily stuffing himself on the wild boar he had caught. After about an hour interacting with the lot, seeing that Luffy had two others in his generation and that he wasn't suffering in the least, Makino finally set her heart at ease and promised to visit weekly. To this the bandits naturally rejoiced. A tavern owner regularly visiting can only mean more sake and to this all will accept with open arms, some even going as far as treating Luffy as a little uncle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And so the evening meal quickly passed. Luffy sent Makino off, accompanied by Zoro while Ace continued to enjoy the warm and joyful atmosphere at the base.  A while later he walked out of the hut only to find Luffy and Zoro accompanying Tora. They were consistently yelling "left!", "right!", "above!" as they consistently struck at the tiger. Tora was panting but the atmosphere between the two of them was entirely that of children playing, though they were breathing heavily themselves. Ace told himself over and over that he wasn't jealous of their camraderie and skill and simply walked inside to sleep. After about half an hour the other joined him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As soon as touching the pillow Luffy and Zoro slept, but Ace, who had a somewhat emotional day was nowhere near as tired as these two who were physically and emotionally beyond the limits of their young bodies. And so Ace tossed and he turned and when those two mumbled and yelled in their sleep he was all too aware. When Luffy sneaked his way into his futon he pretended to be asleep and when Zoro similarly joined the 'puppy pile', holding onto Luffy as if he was an anchor, Ace wanted to protest. Yet somehow seeing those young faces crumpled and sweating, receiving solace from wherever they could, he found himself somewhat helpless and just left them be. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eventually Ace fell into a fretful sleep himself. </span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I know I'm trash and my upload scheduel is awful. I'm sorry. But I have absolutely zero intentions of abandoning this fic. That being said thank you so much for your patience. Though life is being a pain I'll try to uplaod more frequently, emphasis on try lol. I am a frontliner though so idk how much I can do. </p><p>Stay healthy and safe!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy new year! Chapter 1000 release. I pushed myself to publish this. I hope you like it and that it doesn't feel rushed.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>A few weeks passed in the same way. Waking up, training, visiting Sabo and looting Goa, catching food, training with Tora, and drinking themselves to sleep. The relationship between the four gradually grew closer. After just two weeks they were as thick as thieves. Cooperating to annoy Dadan until she was red in the face from cursing then placating her with sake so she couldn't stay mad. After three weeks they had built themselves a treehouse that they called their secret base. After four weeks they started training together. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Damn it! How is that even possible!?" Sabo exclaimed as he lay on the ground panting. He usually wasn't one to anger quickly but this was just too much for him to deal with.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Shishishi. Only two rounds and you're already on the floor? Ace lasted three!" Sabo gritted his teeth and used his pipe to support his rubbery muscles back up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm not done yet!" Sabo said, determination shining in his eyes. Luffy and Ace both laughed at him as he walked towards Luffy with his legs shaking. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's ok Sabo! You can get stronger slowly." Luffy said, compassionately, forcing him to sit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yes brother, take your time." Ace said mockingly from under the shade of a tree. Sabo narrowed his eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You can look down on me when you're as strong as he is." He said pointing at Zoro who was lifting three rocks attached to ropes, each at least as big as he was. "I can catch up to </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> in no time."Ace glared, first at Sabo then at the shirtless and sweating swordsman. Luffy's gaze followed Ace's and looking at the young figure he inexplicably felt nostalgic sorrow. So few scars. Had he ever seen Zoro with so few scars? The slash across his chest had been given to him by Mihawk so soon after their meeting that it almost became an iconic characteristic of his first mate. However he quickly shook his head and then nodded. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Like this is better</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Zoro glanced at Luffy but seeing him nodding his head and smiling like an idiot he shifted his focus back to his task and </span>
  <em>
    <span>no </span>
  </em>
  <span>he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> smiling at his idiot captain. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luffy gazed into the forest and something caught his eye. Reminding him while also driving him to panic.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Zoro!" The cry sounded so desperate that Zoro immediately dropped the rocks and rushed to Luffy's back, scanning the surroundings. Luffy grabbed his shoulder and forced him to turn and pointed at something. Ace and Sabo looked in the direction he was pointing, on high alert. All fatigue seemingly gone. There was nothing there but they stayed alert. Zoro however seemed to see something. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Damn!" It was their first time seeing Zoro look distressed. He looked towards Luffy, his tone almost pleading. "What can we do?" Luffy's face seemed like it had turned to stone. Angry and stern. Ace and Sabo looked at each other confused and somewhat amazed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We'll leave immediately. You get your swords and pack some necessities, I'll get us a boat. Meet me at the docks." Zoro nodded and his body started moving before his footsteps faltered. He looked down at his small clenched fists. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"But…" Luffy seemed to read his mind. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We'll be fine, and if we're not I'll use it. Move." The last word was harsh and allowed no argument. Zoro rushed into the cabin without delay and Luffy started running down the mountain. The two boys unfroze when there was no longer anyone in front of them and they rushed to follow Luffy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He seemed to be expecting them as he was running more slowly than he could but it was still too fast for them as they panted trying to catch up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Luffy! Wait!" Ace shouted. The boy did not stop.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Luffy! What happened? Where are you going?" Sabo shouted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I need to go help out a friend." He replied without stopping. The two felt like their lungs would escape from their mouths and the town was in sight but they persisted nevertheless.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Take us with you!" Luffy stopped so abruptly that they ran past him and skidded to a stop. He levelled them with a stern look. That fierce and angry expression had not faded in the slightest, in fact it seemed worse. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You come, you die. I don't have the strength to do what needs doing </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> protect the two of you. So you stay." Luffy explained, his young voice so low it sounded hoarse. His eyes held a slight glint of insanity and they both shivered, somewhat afraid. But still they persisted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We can protect ours-" Ace began but he was ruthlessly interrupted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You stay." The air almost shook and his eyes slightly changed colour. Ace thought this atmosphere seemed familiar and before he could ask or argue further, Luffy started running again without so much as a backward glance. They tried to follow but they were rooted to the spot, unable to move. They looked at each other in confusion. A minute or so later Zoro ran down and slowed his pace a bit so he was no longer a green blur when he reached them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You two should go back." His face and tone were both ice cold and he had disappeared before the two realized he had spoken or that they could move again. They looked at each other helplessly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Like I said. Batshit." Ace said trying to lighten the oppressive mood. Sabo nodded and gave a slight forced smile. But both had worry hidden in their eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I need a drink." Ace said absentmindedly as if by reflex.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Do you think they'll notice if we take some of their stash?" Sabo said mischievously. Ace's eyes flashed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It'll be fine. We'll just bring them more." So the two laboriously trekked up the mountain again, collapsed on the floor of the boys' room, drank maybe a cup and a half and passed out in a restless sleep before noon.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>…. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>At the docks.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zoro walked soundlessly towards Luffy, who was talking to a middle aged fisherman. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You get us a boat?" He asked, startling the fisherman. When he turned around and saw another child holding three swords his expression became even more hesitant and reluctant. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Luffy…" the unusually (by the fisherman's standards) serious Luffy didn't let him say another word. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Uncle, we really need it. I'll bring it back in less than a week." He said, shoving a bag of gold coins in his hands grabbed Zoro and jumped straight into the little rowboat. He untied it in a fluid motion and kicked off the dock before the fisherman could even register what was going on. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Thanks Uncle!" He shouted and waved, showing his first smile since Luffy had found him five minutes ago. He smiled and waved back, then opened the heavy little pouch and his eyes widened at the amount of gold. His eyes almost bugged out of his head before he quickly hid the pouch in his clothes and rushed home. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zoro was smoothly and swiftly rowing the boat, voicing no complaint and showing no signs of fatigue, despite the harsh training he was just doing previously and his small body. Luffy kept his eye on the island which was growing smaller and smaller, when it was almost out of sight he gestured for Zoro to stop. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Little Sea King, Come out." His voice was low but stern, causing ripples in the water. Nothing else happened.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I know you're there. Come out. Now. Or I will get very angry." The water rippled again splashing against their boat. Then from the direction of the island a baby sea king rushed out of the water, mouth open and very close to the two boys, as if to intimidate them. Neither one flinched. Just a little anchovy in their eyes. What's there to be scared of. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Take us to the island that smells like oranges. At your fastest speed. If you don't make it today I'll kill you and eat you for dinner." Luffy threatened. Truthfully he didn't want to speak to it like this, but this child thought it was above all and only this manner would make it obey. The Sea King growled and snapped its teeth on the air in front of Luffy. "It seems you've forgotten me in this short month. Should I remind you?" He asked coyly, rolling his shoulder and balling his fist. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The little Sea King shrunk back and reluctantly but gently took the rope Luffy was offering with a glare. A moment later they shot through the sea like an arrow. Luffy let his hat fall to his nape and he inhaled the sea spray allowing it to gradually soak his hair and calming him down. He looked to his right and saw that Zoro was already asleep, recovering his energy for the fight to come. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Let them come,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Luffy thought to himself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Let's see if they dare make trouble again after I'm done with them.</span>
  </em>
  <span> A trace of murderous intent flashed in his eyes before disappearing without a trace. Luffy's face going back to that of an innocent young boy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In less than two hours they had arrived at their destination and Luffy sent off the Sea King. There were no strange ships on the shore and the townspeople seemed to be normally carrying on with their lives. Both boys showed subtle signs of relief. They weren't too late. They wandered the streets for a while before Luffy caught a glimpse of a familiar figure. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Mr Pinwheel! Mr Pinwheel!" Luffy shouted happily. Some villagers looked his way and upon seeing two kids just shook their heads with a smile and carried on. Luffy bolted towards him and Zoro followed at a more sedate pace, a corner of his lips slightly raised. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Mr Pinwheel! Take us to get mikans! We want mikans! The freshest bestest mikans!" Luffy demanded, taking full advantage of his little child body to get what he wants. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The mayor looked down at the little boy that barely reached his hips and then at the boy who had just walked up behind him, carrying three swords. He raised an eyebrow and was just about to ask when Zoro opened his mouth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Mikans…. Please." The mayor shook his head helplessly, making the pinwheel on his hat spin. Just a couple of kids, the swords were probably fakes for playing. He started walking towards Bellemere's, the two boys obediently and eagerly following him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Where are your parents?" The mayor asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We don't got any." Luffy said, still smiling widely as he looked all around. The mayor furrowed his brows.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Then how did you get here?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Boat."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No merchant ships have passed by here in a while."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It was a rowing boat. Zoro is strong." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The boy was clearly replying to him in an absent minded manner, still looking all around with wide eyes. The other boy hadn't said another word after asking for mikans but was similarly scanning the surroundings. The mayor's eyes narrowed. Something about these children was very strange. There wasn't a trace of the wide eyed wonder and curiosity a child should have at a new place. It was more like they were specifically looking for something.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They had just arrived at the outskirts of Bellemere's plot when the mayor noticed that the boys had both disappeared and he wasn't quite sure when. He furrowed his brows and narrowed his eyes once more. He doubled back and carefully scanned the surroundings. After walking for about two or three minutes he saw the edge of a straw hat sticking out from behind a mikan tree. Were they going to steal the goods? Just as his mind started to run wild he heard the familiar voice of a child arguing with them. He wanted to interfere but though he couldn't hear the words he heard the tone and the ferocity of it, so he just continued to amble over to Bellemere's.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luffy and Zoro simultaneously sensed a familiar presence in the vicinity. They looked to each other and soundlessly parted from the mayor, into a field fenced by a tall bushy plant. They waited until the mayor was out of sight before running towards that familiar presence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They ran for about five minutes before they reached the outskirts of the mikan's field. There they saw a little girl crouched beneath a tree mumbling over a book, eyebrows furrowed, seemingly confused. They looked at each other from the corner of their eyes, then back at the crouching girl. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Nami." They both said. The name was spoken at a volume softer than the wind but the girl looked up in their direction anyway. She quickly stood up and hid her book behind her back. She was smiling widely and insincerely.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Are you tourists? Lost?" She asked in a gentle tone, taking a step towards them. They both walked towards her until there was only a foot or two between them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Mmmm. We're something like tourists." Nami's smile grew wider and this time it seemed somewhat genuine. "We'd like a map of the island. Can you help us?" Luffy asked. At this Nami lifted her chin and humphed pridefully.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're in luck. I'm the best mapmaker on the island, even the mayor says so. But I'm expensive. Two gold coins for a map of the island." She said it looking down her nose at them. Luffy readily took out a bag of gold coins.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'll give you two for the map and the rest of the coins is to help us get back home to Windmill village. It's to the north east but we don't know how to navigate. Think you can help us? We just found this place by luck, if you cant help us we'll find someone else." Luffy said. Nami took the pouch from his hands finding it full of gold coins. This was enough to have Bellemere and Nojiko eat feasts and buy new clothes for quite some time and if she could travel she could make more maps and make more money. These kids were asking to be taken advantage of. But she forced herself to be calm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Are you rich kids? You just wasting your money?" Nami asked. "Hmph. I don't need you people's charity." She said full of pride as she shoved the money pouch back to Luffy, though her eyes clearly showed her reluctance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We're not do gooders." Zoro spoke for the first time. Nami turned to him, eyes somewhat hopeful but hesitant. "We're pirates." At this what little trust and friendliness they had built up completely disappeared. Nami immediately put her gaurd up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hmph I don't need to do business with dirty people like you. Leave this island. We don't need your lot."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"En. We'll leave after a bit if you really don't want us. We'll be staying at the inn by the port. This is for the map. We hope you can deliver it to us." Luffy said handing her two gold coins with an innocent smile, as if not noticing her distrust or Zoro's awkwardness. Then he pulled his first mate away and walked back towards the heart of the village. Just before they were almost out of earshot Luffy turned back and opened his mouth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You should learn, </span>
  <em>
    <span>some</span>
  </em>
  <span> pirates only live and fight for their dreams and friends, not involving the innocent." He said with a smile before turning back to face the village but not stepping forward. Nami was rooted to the spot. She was angry that this child was already indoctrinated by criminal ways but also enchanted by his innocent smile and his lilting tone. When he turned his back to her after speaking her chest felt pained and she rubbed it, thinking she needed to visit a doctor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"In the same manner </span>
  <em>
    <span>some</span>
  </em>
  <span> marines care nothing about friends, or innocents and laws." And then they both disappeared. Nami was stunned for a solid minute before she started stomping towards their cabin fuming. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Just wait till I tell Bellemere about this. She'll deal with you nice and good! Just you wait!</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Longer chapter in celebration of chapter 1000 and the new year. I really need to go back and edit this whole fic for inconsistencies and typos but well just writing a new chapter is a bunch of work but I'll try to do it some time this year. I have no editor and I'm usually exhausted when I'm writing so please bear with me till I have time to get to it. </p><p>P.S. I'd love your opinions on chapter 1000 (other than epic) and will you be taking the vaccine?</p><p>P.P.S. For me it's just epic awesome and all sorts of exhortations. I'm a hopeless fangirl, I know, forgive me. Also keep the vaccine far far away from me. </p><p>Please stay safe! Have a wonderful 2021!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Forgive me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>My life .... Sigh</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>So umm .... I pretty much hate my entire existence right now. This fic is me creating a story I have in my head chapter by chapter. I blame covid and the vaccine but I am so mad and busy that I cannot create a new chapter. As I was trying I realized that the story somehow completely veered off the story I meant to tell. So yeah what I plan to do rn before anything else is just edit this story. I blame my own drunk ass detoxing self for any trash you guys may have read. I will edit up to the point that alignes with my narrative, the rest will be completely overhauled. Cus fuck covid and it's madness. Sorry to everyone that read my mad ass chapters and thank you also very sorry. Fuck being a front liner. Just shoot me lmao. This is my stress relief and even this is a mess lol.</p>
  </div></div>
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